Whatever it takes
by Nadin4400
Summary: When Jenna is in danger, Alaric is there to help her while having to face some uneasy choices and his feelings for Isobel. Rated T for adult content. Alaric/Jenna, Alaric/Damon bromance, Elena, Jeremy, Anna, Isobel, John, Stefan. Complete! PLEASE R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**Title**: Whatever it takes

**Summary**: Torn between his feelings for Isobel and developing relationship with Jenna, Alaric has to figure out what is it that he needs most. And when strange deaths start to occur in Mystic Falls, he teams up with Damon to try to protect people they care about.

**Characters**: Jenna, Alaric, Isobel, Damon, Jeremy, Elena, Stefan (maybe down the line, or at least mentions of him), John

**Spoilers**: Throughout Season 1

**Timeline**: In the end of Season 1 but before _The Founder's Day_ massacre

**Disclaimer**: I do not own anyone, just borrowed them for a little while. Promise to give them all back unharmed, more or less

**Author's Note**: This story takes place after my first fic "It is what it is" and it is 70% Jalaric-centered with some parts of Damon and Alaric working together.

And here is a little addition to the summary, sort of. Some facts that will help the story make sense: Jenna knows that Damon and Stefan are the vampires * she does not know though about John's affair with Isobel and the fact that he could be Elena's father * Alaric does not know about Jenna's affair with John in the past * Anna is alive * Jenna does not know that Anna is a vampire, nor does she know that Alaric was the one who staked Logan * Alaric wasn't compelled by Isobel and has to get over her on his own (yeah, it's a little AU but I wanted to add some drama) * None of them knows that Katherine is back in town

Please, ignore typos :)))

* * *

**Prologue**

It was a funny feeling, a mixture of lightness, dizziness and freedom. Something that you only feel when you dream about flying when you know that no matter what happens, you can never fall. She always imagined that it was exactly how Alice felt falling down the rabbit's hole. Was she really dreaming? Well, how could she know that if she wasn't even sure she was still alive?

She remembered being angry and upset and pretty much on the verge of tears but she couldn't remember why. She also remembered dark-gray asphalt in the light of the car headlights, dangerously slippery after the rain. There were no streetlamps alongside the road after the thunderstorm damaged the electricity cables. And wasn't it weird that she remembered that?

Well, if she was dead than she knew one thing for sure – it was all a lie that you could see your entire life flashing before your mind's eyes before you die. She didn't see anything, or if she did, then she didn't remember a thing. She could see her car though, or at least what was left of it, lying on the bottom on the ditch with its back bumper stuck out awkwardly into the air. She could set it and she couldn't be bothered less, for one reason or another.

So, was she dead? Or was she dreaming? And was there a way to find it out?

She had a strange feeling though, something uncomfortable that settle at the edge was her mind and was never letting her go. As if there was something that she needed to know, something that she needed to remember, and that was something that was very important, if not the most important thing for her right now. But no matter how much she tried, no matter how much she struggled, the thought was slipping away from her every time she was getting too close.

It wasn't right. If she was dead, why couldn't she just go? If she died, she was supposed to move on, no? Where was the light? Why was she watching her wreck of a car instead of… well, she didn't know what she was expected to do, but it surely wasn't what she was doing now.

And then… then there was this tugging, as if something was pulling her down. Down – where? But there was something around her, like a net, and she couldn't do anything about it. She couldn't move, she couldn't breath, she couldn't even feel – not exactly. She could only register what was going on.

There was a snap then, as if two matching pieces of puzzle came together, and she was back. The feeling was overwhelming. There were sounds all around here again, freakishly numerous and loud, and the chilly air on her skin, and the memories that flooded her mind making her head spin. And there also was something else… something she couldn't quite figure out at first… something like…

Hunger.

**Chapter 1**

She was cute, Damon thought. In that special _blonde-after-college-on-the-road-trip_ way. He kinda liked the dimples that appeared on her cheeks every time her lips curved into a smile. And she was pretty drunk, too. Not _I-can-barely-stand-on-my-legs _drunk, but enough to be babbly with a stranger and not give a damn about it. And she seemed to be pretty happy about having him for a company. Almost as much as he would be happy to have her for dessert later, Damon mused in his mind.

"So, how did such a pretty thing like you ended up here?" He asked with the most charming smile of his as the bartender put another round of drinks before them.

"Oh, by pure accident," she confided in a low voice bending closer to him.

"A luck one, I dare to hope?" He also bent forward a little mirroring her gesture.

The girl giggled and the fact that she flushed didn't go past Damon either. "See, my friend and I, we're from New-York," she went on. "And we decided it would be kind of cool to drive across the country instead of going to Miami or something, like most of our friends did." She made a funny face. "But somewhere… um, not far from here," she waved her hand vaguely, "we, well, took the wrong turn, I guess. And… here I am! " She flashed a brilliant white-teeth smile.

"Aw, really?" Damon's brows shot up. "Now isn't it… just a perfect coincidence? And where are you going?"

"To California," the ice cubes clinked in the glass as the girl turned it from side to side in her hand. _Well, of course to California_, Damon chuckled mentally. "It should be lovely at this time of the year. New-York is too grey and dull already. Have you ever been to New-York?" She cocked her head watching Damon with interest.

"A _million_ of times," he rolled his eyes making a distinct emphasis on million. "And this friend of yours-?"

"Oh, she said she was tired and chose to stay at the motel," the girl sighed and pouted. "So boring!"

"Well, her loss! Now, tell me more about that college of yours." He lowered his voice again to that intimate half-whisper that implied sharing secrets. "Tell me _all_ about it."

Gee, it was too easy to be actually exciting. He didn't have to even think of compelling her to do something. She was more than eager to open up her soul to him on her on will. Which was a little boring, Damon had to admit. It kinda killed the whole fun of the hunt. Not that hitting on the girls in the bar was an actual hunt… Hell, he didn't even remember the last time he was out with the fire burning in his veins, in search for helpless prey. And wasn't it pathetic?

After asking her about the college, Damon turned off his hearing completely knowing that he would probably go crazy if he attempted to pay attention to everything she was pouring onto him. _Really_-s, _Wow_-s and _That's interesting_-s alongside with nodding and humming from time to time was all that he needed to keep her going. And it was exactly what gave him some time to think of something that actually mattered.

Like, his brother being a "human-blood-o-holic" with practically no will-power to control his obsession. And they had to do something about it. Not that the idea of keeping Stefan locked in the cellar for the rest of eternity wasn't appealing, but it would take a great part of fun out of Damon's life. How would he make his brother's life miserable and full of suffering if it was as miserable and full of suffering as possible? Not that he wouldn't like to do it anyway.

And there was John "Jackass" Gilbert lurking around, definitely having an angle of his own, and that was a serious thing to consider. Damon never pegged him for the guy who would come back to his hometown to protect it from the bad and the evil because his heart told him to do so. It bothered him on more than one level that he couldn't figure out what John's reasons could possibly be. But he knew for sure that he had a bad feeling about it.

Then there also was Isobel, who, by some cruel twist of fate, turned out to be Elena's mommy. And who couldn't escape getting in all of this mess to make it even more exciting. If karma existed, Damon thought grimly, then that was exactly what he had to deal with now.

And the last, but not the least, was Elena… his heart – or whatever he had where his heart once beat – gave a leap at the thought of the dark-haired girl, and Damon finished his drink in one big gulp gesturing to the bartender for another one. And if he didn't have a heart, why was he feeling so jealous of her spending all of her time with his brooding and boring brother? Why did he care so much for her well-being? Why on earth wasn't he able to get her the hell out of his head?

_Because you're an idiot_, little evil voice inside of his head reminded him mischievously.

The thought almost made Damon sick, and when the bartender put another glass of bourbon before him, he fought a wish to actually ask for the whole bottle to save them both a whole lot of trouble.

"What about you?"

Somehow, the question made its way into Damon's mind.

"Mm, I'm sorry?" She wouldn't really care about the lack of attention anyway, he decided. Still, the smile was back, more a habit than actual interest, but what's the big deal?

"Are you from around here?"

"It's a long story," Damon replied evasively. "And so boring."

"Oh, I think that everything you say is interesting," the girl purred and made an effective pause, "if only because it's you who is saying it."

Keep believing it, he willed her mentally.

"You know what? I've got a better idea," Damon made an attempt to recall her name because she obviously mentioned it somewhere along the way. It turned out he didn't pay enough attention to remember it. Not that it mattered… He could easily make her believe that her name was Merlin Monroe and she wouldn't even find it amusing. "Why don't we-?"

He tensed then and looked around the bar.

Everything seemed to be normal – people drank beer, played pool and chatted creating that special buzz that was so common for public places at night. No one seemed to be merely bothered by… Damon shook his head trying to get rid of the feeling. He listened intensely then. Hell, he was sure he heard a scream, and then silence fell which made even his blood run cold for some reason.

He whipped his head sideways fighting to figure out where it could have come from.

It was getting annoying and he cursed in his mind. One thing about his super-abilities that he hated most sometimes was that she could never turn them off. He learned to distract himself from it enough not to go crazy, but that was it. And now he knew that he heard what he heard and something didn't let him ignore it, no matter how tempting this option was.

A blessing in disguise, only the other way around, he thought sourly. Seriously, he hated the feeling! Why the hell was it any of his problem, anyway?

But apparently, it was. Damon growled lowly. He was getting even more pathetic, if it was possible.

"I'll be right back," he winked at the girl, what's-her-name. "Stay here and don't go anywhere."

"Sure," she breathed out.

On that, he slid off of the tall stool, hoping he'd get back to his unfinished drink some time soon… and then he suddenly did a thing that made him practically hate himself. He turned to the girl who was watching him with interest, looked her in the eye and said:

"On the other hand, I think you should go back to the motel and have some sleep," which was so Stefan-like that it made him cringe. Inwardly.

"Sure," she nodded with the willingness of a kid who was offered to take a trip to a Disneyland.

"Good girl."

Looks like I will end up with the cocktail from the nearest blood bank again, he thought with frustration. Damon hated cold blood, for crying out loud! It wasn't some freaking Dr. Pepper to drink it with ice! It was thick and sticky and unbelievably delicious when it was hot! And right now it was making its way out of the bar.

* * *

"So, it's Social Psychology?" Alaric asked. "Why?"

He was standing at the counter with his hip leaned against the marble surface and his arms crossed on his chest, and watched Jenna move around the kitchen, her hair pulled up into a pony-tail with a few loose strands framing the face giving her a sweet homey look.

Microwave dinged as Jenna retrieved a huge plastic bowl from the cupboard.

"Honestly?" She paused and then smirked. "No, you will laugh."

"I won't."

She hesitated for a moment. Took her time to fish paper bag that looked like a balloon from the microwave and empty it into the bowl as the scent of fresh popcorn filled the kitchen.

"I chose it because it had nothing to do with what I wanted in life," she confessed at last smiling sheepishly. "Thought I'd be less disappointed if I didn't have any expectations in case this whole plan didn't work out right in the end."

Ric considered her answer for a moment and then nodded conceding her point. "Well, that was wise, actually."

"I hope so. Sweet or salty?"

"Up to you."

She rummaged through the cupboard looking for the bottle of syrup. "I was half way through when this car accident happened," she added ignoring the pang in the chest caused by the memories of her sister's death. Kept her voice level. "Now it is a distance thing, which is totally fine with me. I thought it was important for Jeremy and Elena to stay here. This place was their home ever since they were kids. They had enough to go through to add new school and neighborhood to it. So, here we are!" She smiled on a small shrug feeling oddly okay to talk about it. "I see my advisor every two or three months, and we're always in touch by email."

"Here, let me," Alaric took a bowl from her. "And how far are you?" He asked as they walked back to the living room where the credits for "_Jurassic Park_" were flashing on the screen.

"Let me see – several tests, a couple of paper works and a whole lot of sleepless nights from becoming a… well, counselor," she chuckled flopping down onto the couch and grabbing the remote control from the coffee table. "No idea what I am going to do with it next, but so far it's not as bad as I feared it would be." Paused for a moment. "What about you? Being a teacher was a dream job or-?"

"Or," he let out a short laugh. "It just… happened. I never quite figured out how. And, so far it's not as bad as I feared it would be." He quoted her mimicking her facial expression.

Jenna laughed. "And other dark secrets?'

"Mm, a weak spot for giant animals in horror movies," he replied with a somewhat shameful expression.

She crumpled her forehead, thinking. "Like, _Anaconda_?"

"Or _Jaws_."

"_Deep Blue Sea_."

"_King-Kong_."

"So classy," she scoffed. "_Lake Placid_."

He paused for a moment. "_Godzilla_."

"Nope," Jenna shook her head. "_Godzilla_ is not real," she disagreed.

"Like any of them are," Ric snorted. "Besides, didn't we move from the weak spot to just favorites?" His tone was mock defensive.

"Well, technically speaking, they are real," she pointed out picking several pieces of popcorn from the bowl. "As in, being actual animals, no? And – nice try!"

She did enjoy it, Jenna thought. And a lot more than she could have imagined, too. It was nice to sit on the couch, one leg tucked beneath her and the other draped over Ric's lap in that unbelievably comfortable way. It felt… it felt really good. It felt right. Leave alone the fact that the banter was fun. She gave him a surreptitious look out of the corner of her eye and felt that her lips started to form into a smile on the will of their own.

"I never trusted that electric fence," Ric grabbed a handful of popcorn smirking, totally oblivious to her thoughts, his gaze fixed on the screen now.

"Yeah, it's like they're making it clear from the very beginning what their biggest flaw is," Jenna agreed as the visitors of the Jurassic Park were making their first trip around the island.

"Honestly, when I was watching it first, I was pretty sure they would start dying during that very look-around," he told her. "The whole suspense atmosphere screamed like it."

"Actually, it's all about the credits. They never kill people who go first in the credits for at least ten minutes of the film," she explained with a confidence of an expert, and added as an afterthought, "The same goes for everyone who is in any way valuable for the survival of the others."

"Really? That's an interesting theory."

"It's not a theory, it's a rule. Works for 95% of all movies. Pick any."

"And what about the remaining 5%?"

Jenna considered his question for a moment. "Two options. They are either not worth the time you waste on them, or they would blow up your mind." She put another piece of popcorn into her mouth. "What?" Asked on raised eyebrows when caught him watching her with a strange expression she couldn't quite define, except that it made her heart jump up to her throat and her stomach flop down.

"There's something…" he trailed off.

Unable to take her gaze away from his eyes, Jenna felt his fingertips slide down her cheek as he leaned, and then his lips brushed gently against hers.

She tasted sweet, and not only because of the syrup from the popcorn, Alaric thought absently. The kind of sweetness he couldn't resist, and the thought was thrilling and frightening at the same time. He heard her let out a small sigh, a mixture of surprise and acceptance…

And they both all but jerked away from each other at the sound of the entrance door open and close with a loud _bang_. Something thumped onto the hardwood floor in the hall.

Jenna craned her neck nearly toppling over the armrest of the couch and Alaric managed to snatch the bowl of popcorn out of her hands just in time before it ended up flying to the floor.

"Jeremy," she mouthed soundlessly when she spotted the familiar shaggy hair. "Hey, Jer!"

"Hey, Aunt Jenna," he walked into the living room pulling his earphones off of his head to let them hang around his neck. "Oh, hi, Mr. Saltzman."

"Hey, man," Ric greeted him back as they shook hands.

"You're not here to check my homework, are you?" Jeremy eyes him suspiciously.

"I'd lie if I say I hadn't thought about it, but let's wait till tomorrow."

"That's cool."

All three of them were cut off by the high-pitched shrill of Alaric's cell-phone.

Frowning, he wiggled it out of the back pocket of his jeans, and then his frown deepened when he took a look at the caller ID.

"Excuse me, I've got to get this," he muttered a little distractedly as he got up from the couch, put the popcorn bowl onto the table and walked out of the living room and into the hall. Both Jeremy and Jenna watched him curiously for a moment. Them Jenna turned and gave Jeremy a long once-over.

"There's some lasagna left in the oven. You look like you could use it."

Jeremy blinked at her, surprised by the change of subject, and the shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

"Come on," she pushed herself off of the couch and followed him into the kitchen. Couldn't help throwing a quick look at Ric but he was standing with his back to the living room, holding the phone at his ear, his free hand tucked into the pocket of his jeans.

* * *

Alaric hit the answer button as soon as he was sure he was out of the hearing range of the living room. "Damon," he said flatly into the receiver.

"_Well, hello to you, too_," Damon sneered on the other end of the line. "_Where are you?_"

"Why?" Ric chanced a quick glance over his shoulder. The couch was empty, he could hear Jenna and Jeremy talking in the kitchen.

"_Because, obviously, it's the only thing in the whole wide world I can think of right now._" Ric could have sworn that Damon rolled his eyes here. "_Which still leaves the question open – where are you?_"

"At Elena's."

There was a short pause. "_And Elena is hanging out with my brooding brother at the boarding house,_" Damon said then in a mock serious voice as if thinking out loud. "_And the last time I saw Jeremy, he was playing pool at Mystic Grill… Having a quality time with your girlfriend? That's sweet. In fact, it almost makes me-_"

"Jeremy is here, FYI," Ric cut him off.

"_For how long? Two minutes?_"

"I fail to see how any of that is any of your business, Damon," he stopped before the painting and peered sightlessly at it. The fact that Damon was dancing around the reason of his call bothered him more and more with each passing second, bad feeling about it settling uncomfortably in his gut. "Are you really _that_ bored?"

No, he couldn't disappoint him, of course.

"_I've got body here_," Damon told him matter-of-factly, if a little excitedly.

"And I've got a six-pack in the fridge. It's all about the taste."

"_Drop the smart-ass attitude,_" now his voice was almost annoyed. "_I'm serious_." And he really was, Ric could hear it. "_It wasn't me, and I'm sure it wasn't my martyr of a brother. Stefan stays away from public places and humans – who are not Elena – scared of having a relapse. Which means-_" He made theatrical pause. "_We've got company. So, the nature of my call is… Do we want Sheriff Forbs to find that pretty little college girl here?_"

"You mean, there's someone new in town?"

"_Now, we're talking business. Finally_."

"I still don't understand-"

"_Yeah, back to why I am calling _you_ at all_." Damon snorted. "_Well, that's simple. Just tell me one thing – you sure your ex-wife doesn't have a grudge against you? Or any of us, speaking of that, because it sort of looks like her kind of move. Not that I'm an expert on her moves-_" He let the end of the phrase hang.

Ric froze at the mention of Isobel.

"I'll be right there," he breathed out.

"_Oh, feel free to take your time. No one's in a hurry. Anymore_." On that, Damon hung up.

Ric stared blankly at the screen where the timer stopped at 02.18 before it went into a stand-by mode and turned black. For some reason, the conversation with Damon seemed to be longer than that.

He let out an exasperated sigh.

Was it really Isobel? Everything was falling apart all over again. Every single time he dared to believe that he had finally moved on, something had to happen and shatter his world to pieces. He was sick and tired of it. And the worst part was that the harder he fought against this whole situation, the harder it was striking back the next time. Like a vicious circle that he couldn't break.

* * *

"So, Mr. Saltzman told me you're doing much better at school lately," Jenna said fishing a plate out of the cupboard.

"Is that all you two are talking about?" Jeremy shook his head in disbelief putting the dish with lasagna onto the counter. "Seriously, Aunt Jenna-" he reached for the knife and fork and his eyes went up fixing on the TV screen for the first time since he come back home. Jeremy paused and then gave Jenna a look over his shoulder. "_Jurassic Park_?" His eyebrows quirked up. And a moment later his lips stretched into a broad grin. "Oh, I get it. Old movie. Dinosaurs. We're all about _history_ now?"

Jenna pretended sticking him with a fork. "You don't have to be so mean, you know?"

Jeremy scoffed but before he came up with a decent shot back, Alaric entered the kitchen.

"Hey, I'm… I've gotta go," he said when they acknowledged his presence.

"Is everything okay?" Jenna frowned. His worried expression that he attempted to mask with a crooked smile didn't escape her.

"Yeah," he answered in a light easy voice. "There's just some… stuff."

She studied his face for a moment. He wasn't evasive, or jumpy, or nervous. Well, not much. But there was some uneasiness about him that worried her on more than one level. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on, and it made it even worse. As if his mind was somewhere else.

"Okay," she said then, keeping it light, too.

And that _okay_ kinda made him feel a little more guilty than before.

"Look, I'm sorry," Ric's voice softened. He leaned against the counter bringing his face to the same level as hers, his eyes looked on hers. "I really am."

Jenna leaned against it on the other side – closing the distance between them, too.

"It's fine," she did mean it this time. "It's not like you're taking the popcorn with you. Besides…"

Jeremy cleared his throat forcing them both turn and look at him.

"Could you _please_ not do anything like that in front of me?" He asked while shoving his plate into the microwave, his eyes darting between one and another, gaze slightly amused and a little disbelieving.

"Don't look," Jenna pointed out.

"He's right," Ric chuckled. "And… I should be going."

She followed him across the living room and to the front door. Waited for him to pull on his leather jacket and only then let her concern show.

"Okay, now you can tell me – what happened?" She crossed her arms on the chest as a tight knot started to form in her stomach.

"No-," Alaric started automatically and cut himself off when it became obvious that she wasn't buying it. "It's okay. I just have to go and check on some stuff. It's really nothing. Yet." He studied her face for a long moment. "And… thanks for putting up with all of that."

"Not that I have a choice, but you're welcome," Jenna's smile was encouraging. "Besides, it's still fun. In a twisted way, but fun all the same."

Her words made him feel better.

"I will come by later, or call you if it's too late for the visit," Ric promised in a soft voice.

"Okay."

He nodded giving her a small smile, turned around, opened the door…

Chilly air rushed inside sending shiver show her body and raising goose-bumps on her arms. "Ric…"

On impulse, Jenna closed the distance between them, grabbed him by the jacket pulling him close, and pressed her lips to his. The smell of worn leather and his after-shave lotion washed over her, making her dizzy and weak in the knees by the second. Without noticing it, she clung onto his jacket so hard that her knuckles turned white – and she couldn't care less. Caught by surprise, he paused for the barest of moments, but then she felt his hand slide around her neck as he leaned in kissing her back.

"I can still hear it," Jeremy called out from the living room around the mouthful of… something.

Jenna smiled when he pulled back slightly still marveling in the feeling but it was then that she heard quick steps and:

"Alaric! What a nice surprise."

She all but gritted her teeth when John appeared practically out of nowhere. His greeting was so genuinely enthusiastic that she nearly believed it, hadn't she known any better. He patted Ric on the back making his way past them and into the house.

"John," Alaric's response was more of an acknowledgment and less of an actual greeting, leave alone the fact that his voice was as dry as sand in the desert. Jenna chose to ignore him completely, except for the glare that she couldn't help.

"Is it just me or you really spend here more time than… anywhere else?"

Alaric's hand dropped from Jenna's neck, slid down her arm and closed somewhat protectively around her fingers.

"Is that a problem?"

"No, not at all," John backed off holding his hands up. "Not for me. You two have good time. Hey, Jeremy, what are you up to?"

Jenna glared daggers at his back until he was out of her sight feeling the frustration grow inside of her. Over the time, she grew to believe that dealing with this man was a curse of hers of some sort. She was the official guardian of Jeremy and Elena but he was their uncle and she had no right – ethical or legal – to kick him out of the house, which, by the way, wasn't even hers. Not that these thoughts were helping her tolerate this man any better.

"Could this night possibly get any worse?" She muttered under her breath and let out a frustrated sigh.

"You don't seem to get along all that well," Alaric observed and she failed to figure out if it was a question or a statement.

"No, we're fine. He's a jerk, but I can handle it, and it gets on her nerves. Besides, he'll be gone sooner or later anyway. Better sooner than later of course." And then as an afterthought, "In fact, I'm surprised he's still here. Mystic Falls always was too small for such a big… _person_ as John Gilbert. He barely showed up to his own brother's funeral."

"Maybe he has some personal business here?" Alaric assumed absently, not quite waiting for a reply, then look pointedly at her. "You don't have to be that diplomatic with me."

"I'll keep that in mind," Jenna nodded primly. "But… I am supposed to be a grown-up here. At least sometimes. And I cannot call anyone names, even if they really deserve it. The kids are looking up to me, I have to be a good example… or whatever."

"And… they can probably beat you in calling names," Ric added chuckling.

"Yeah, probably," she agreed reluctantly.

Once he was gone, she lingered in the hallway for a moment listening to the sounds coming from the living room, but it was only the TV that she heard. She poked her head in then and scanned the area.

"Good, he's gone," she muttered with relief coming up to the couch.

"You don't have to fight, like, all the time," Jeremy snickered.

"It's a reflex. Like blinking. You can't control it," she explained in a mock serious voice. "What are they on?" Asked then referring to the film.

"The storm had started and the lights went out."

"Good. Move over." She took a seat beside him when he shifted to the right. Now that was the most interesting part of all… "What?" Jenna asked when Jeremy chuckled softly, and obviously it had nothing to do with the dinosaurs shredding people to spaghetti on the screen.

"Really, Aunt Jenna?" He turned to her shaking his head, his lips quirked into a lopsided smirk.

"What?"

"Let's just make one thing clear – if you and Mr. Saltzman break up and then I _accidentally_ fail my finals, it's not my fault, okay?"

Jenna elbowed him into the ribs.

"First – no excuses. You fail and you're grounded for life. And second," she made a meaningful pause. "How about some more faith?"

She turned her head when he didn't come up with a response and saw Jeremy staring at the framed picture of his parents of the shelf.

Jenna's smile faded by the second and her heart constricted. His skepticism was justified. After the car accident and the whole story with Vicki Donovan, Jeremy seemed to lose faith in life generally. Living each day was okay, but she knew he couldn't let himself make any plans for tomorrow. There always was a thick chance for everything to change completely in a matter of seconds and then he would have to gather himself piece by piece all over again. The death of his parents was a terrible and the most unfair twist of faith, but Jeremy took it much worse than any of them. Everything that followed – the drugs, skipping classes, self-destruction – was an act, and Jenna knew better than that. At some level, she knew exactly how he felt.

So, she gave him a moment and then said in a soft voice, "I miss them, too."

"Yeah," Jeremy dropped his gaze and just looked at his hands for a long moment. "Can I tell you something, Aunt Jenna?"

"Sure."

He hesitated. "Look, I know I can be a jerk, and we are both giving you hard times but… it's good that we ended up with you and not… somebody else."

Jenna processed his words – let them make their way into her mind, surprised. Truth be told, she always thought that both he and Elena took her role as their guardian for granted, like it was the most logical thing to happen. Not that there was any real choice between her and John Gilbert, but still…

She gave him a small smile. "Thanks. I'm glad for that, too."

* * *

**To be continued…**

**Author's note: **And, here is the bonus for everyone who made it this far – the story soundtrack :)

-delete spaces- http:/ www. youtube. com/ watch?v =ZdLqFCw3a58

Thanks for reading! Comments are always highly appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's notes:** And here we are again :) This chap is not as long as I planned it would be, but… well, if I united it with the next one, it would take you a week to go through lol

Dig in!

* * *

**Chapter 2**

It was a matter of precaution to leave the car two blocks from the spot Damon told him to come to and make them by foot sticking to the shadows. Alaric covered them in quick brisk pace feeling somewhat exposed in the darkness that he knew was hiding evil. He listened intensely to the noises all around him, but in the back of his mind he knew better than that – had anyone out there wanted to stay hidden, they'd do it. Had anyone decided to attack him, he would never notice it before it would be too late. Not that the thoughts were consoling in any way…

It was a small park, or more of a green spot in the intersection of three streets that no one ever figured out how to use. Apparently, the founding fathers weren't all that good at arranging the town structure. Being a pretty place with kids on bikes and colorful flowerbeds at the daytime, it looked eerily creepy at night, what with not a single street-lamp on its territory, and silence, and the fog crawling along the ground.

Damon was standing under the tree, one shoulder leaned against its rough bark and arms folded on his chest. A dark spot against… well, overall darkness. Alaric couldn't see his face clearly. In fact, he couldn't see much at all, but he could feel the boredom emanating from the vampire as if he wasn't at all interested in being there at all, which, assuming his company, was totally understandable.

Beside him, on the ground, was lying a petite girl with long chestnut hair dressed in plain blur jeans and beige jacket, her skin look unnaturally white, even almost glowing in the moonlight. Bloody smudge on her neck – without the advantage of the vampire vision, Ric couldn't see the bite itself – was a pretty good reason for that. Or, at least, the back story of it was.

"Thank God you made it here before morning," Damon pushed himself off of the tree and came to stand beside Alaric as the later surveyed the body.

Ric didn't dignify his comment with an answer. "What happened?" He asked instead.

"That's an interesting story," Damon started. "I was in the bar having a drink with this girl…" _Stacey_, popped into his mind all of a sudden. Her name was Stacey, she did say it to him when he just joined her. Damon cringed. Why wouldn't it happen when it was of any use? Oh… whatever!

"_With_ the girl?" Ric's brows shot up.

"Oh, please! I wouldn't feed from a human in a public place!" Damon snorted.

"Yeah, right," not without skepticism. "Go on."

Damon let out a heavy theatrical sigh. "I heard this one," he poked at the body, "scream outside. So, I sent my dinner back to… oh, I don't know, some motel, and come and check what the hell interrupted such a perfect night. And this is what I saw. She has a student ID of some Virginia College. No idea what was she doing here though."

"And you're bothered why, exactly?" Alaric asked. "Not that you never killed anyone yourself."

Damon regarded him darkly. "A-a-and here's time for the fun facts about the vampires," he drawled. "We don't have to kill people to feed, see."

"So, why do you do it at all?" Ric frowned.

Damon rolled his eyes. "For fun," he replied in a voice that implied that had there been any question more stupid than that, he had never heard it. "Why else?"

"You can't be serious."

"I remember giving you a lecture on humanity issues already. Take notes next time, would you please? Of course we kill for fun, or out of boredom, or revenge for not getting enough hugs from mommy when we were kids. Take your pick." He paused. "But we never do it where we live. Not like that at least. What do you think would be the first thing for people to find tomorrow? Yep, a girl with two very distinctive bite marks, drained of blood. Do you really think that Sherriff and her team can feed everyone that _animal attacks_ story for long?" Now, Damon sounded really annoyed. "I have no wish to leave this town for the next 50 years… again."

"You suggest it was set up. Any idea why?" Ric paused. "You… you really think it could be Isobel?"

"Honestly? Not a clue. The vampires from the tomb were either killed, or fled when their little family fell apart. So, it's me, Stefan and her, as far as we're concerned, right?"

"She might not be alone," Alaric reminded him.

"It doesn't matter," Damon winced. "It's still us against her… and her gang. Sort of. So, if the two of you have unresolved issues, feel free to spill now."

Alaric considered his words for a moment, somewhat taken aback by his own reaction to them. It was weird but somehow not so horrible to talk about all of that as it used to be. They might have as well be talking about the weather or a soccer game and he would stay as calm and detached as now, he realized.

"I still can't see how killing a girl would do me any harm," Ric said at last when he finally saw the flaw in Damon's _oh-so-perfect_ theory that bugged him from the start.

"What do you mean?"

"You asked if Isobel and I had unresolved issues. Let's imagine we do," _because her taking off to become a vampire is sort of an issue, as well as me calling her a bitch_, he added mentally. "She goes and kills a girl. So? I still have history test planned for tomorrow."

Damon frowned. "_So?_"

"Yeah – so? It's not like the city folk will come for me with the stakes." He shrugged. "I see your point here, Damon. Killing somebody and leaving the body in the middle of Mystic Falls is almost a dare, but why won't you try to look in another direction?"

Damon blinked when something clicked in his mind. "Who would want to set _me_ up?"

Alaric scoffed. "Present company excluded?"

"You wouldn't."

"As much as I'd love to. So, I suggest you start digging. Maybe cross out those who don't want you dead – the list mustn't be long." On that, Damon gave him a pointed look. "And I…" Ric rubbed at his eyes, "I don't know if Isobel is still here, but if she is, I guess I'll try to find her." It was his turn to give Damon a glare then. "But if it is your fault, do me a favor – clean your mess yourself."

He let his eyes – now better adjusted to the lack of light – travel up and down the girl's body again, and an invisible hand clenched his heart. Playing a part in somebody's dirty game was probably the most terrible and unfair way to die. Whoever she was, she definitely deserved better than that. He almost hated himself for being able to just stand there and analyze her death as if she wasn't a human being who talked and laughed and dreamed of something only a few hours ago. It was like this whole situation with Isobel, and everything she said to him, killed a part of humanity in him as well.

"I so don't want to go into all this deep self-analysis," Damon flinched in disgust. "It is so Oprah. And Stefan. And I can't decide which one of them is more annoying."

Alaric crossed his arms on his chest noticing for the first time that his fingers were numb from cold.

"You really don't know what all of this could be about?"

"Please, don't tell me we're in the _I-don't-trust-you_ mode again," Damon said flatly. "I wouldn't call you just for the company. In fact, I hoped you knew something. God knows what other dirty little secrets you're hiding."

Ric regarded him for a long moment, and then sighed. "Okay, whatever. There is one more thing…"

"Where to hide the body?" Damon suggested. "Don't worry about that, I know-"

"We are not going to hide it. And no, another thing."

"More exciting than hiding the body?"

"That's for you to decide. Tell me, Damon, why did you think that this was a move against _you_?"

"Actually, I thought that it was against you, which yeah, doesn't make much sense now that pointed it out."

"Yeah, thanks. I believe we all got that."

"My pleasure," Damon shrugged.

"Let me put it this way then – why would your _second_ guess be that it was aimed at you? I mean I know that you never get over yourself-"

"Are you serious? Oh, please! Who else could it be? You can't really think that the bunnies would start a war against Stefan!" He sneered. "He hardly was his real-dark-self long enough to piss somebody off that much. Besides, you," he pointed at Ric's chest, "had killed enough of the vampires to have a couple of fangy enemies of your own." He paused then, thinking. "Of course they'd try to come and kill you in the old-fashioned way first. It's not like everyone knows about that awesome ring of yours. This whole act is a little too theatrical even for my taste. But still… keep it in mind."

He had a point, Ric had to admit. But there also was something that bothered him more than that, even though he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. It kept slipping away from him every time he was coming too close.

"How about some non-human logic?" He offered.

"We're not exactly human, but we're not dumb. And thank you, by the way."

"Any time."

They both fell silent for a while.

It was getting colder, and Ric's breath was puffing out in small white clouds now

"Well, I guess we're done here then!" Damon announced after a while in a way too cheerful voice. "What would you say if we call it a night?"

"Wait," Ric whipped his head around. "We can't just leave her here. Wasn't it the whole point of this get-together anyway?"

"You really had to bring it up, didn't you?" Damon winced.

"I'm serious."

"Okay, okay! I'll take care of it! You can go work on your high school lectures or something," he shook his head. "Oh, Lord, have I ever said anything more depressing?"

"What are you going to do?" Alaric watched Damon make a circle around the body and then squat down to peer at the girl's face.

"Relax, Ric. I'm just going to move her to a place where she'd attract less audience than here. It's not like I have anything kinky planned for her. Anymore."

"I could have lived without this information."

"Yeah, I know. That's why I couldn't keep it to myself," Damon all but signsonged in response.

* * *

It was a small postcard, half-size of a regular one – the kind that people put in the flowers or attach to the gifts. Beige, with ivy ornament and delicate frame on the outside. Any stationery shop could offer plenty of them. And it was tucked under the windshield wiper when Elena came out of the house in the morning.

She paused for a moment, confused, then reached out and freed it carefully from under the wiper. Inside, written in red ink, was just one word – "_Smile_". No signature.

Frowning, Elena looked up and down the street wondering who could have left it, as if really expecting to see someone hiding behind the nearest tree but it was completely deserted at this early hour. She turned the card over then and examined the back side of it. To her disappointment, there was nothing in there except for the logo of the company that printed it. It was weird. Why would anyone leave her an anonymous message like that?

It could have been from Stefan, she decided in the end. Not that there was anyone else she could think of. And, with Stefan it was a little less creepy. He could have come by at night and left it for her. It definitely looked like his kind of thing, Elena thought as she got in the car and buckled the seatbelt. It was sweet. She looked at the postcard again and put it into her bag.

The first person she saw in the school parking lot was Damon. He stood leaning against the hood of his sleek black Mustang, arms crossed on the chest and eyes hidden behind the sunglasses, which looked a little odd assuming thick clouds in the sky. He stopped scanning the area when he spotted her car but he did not move as he watched her park and get out. Only then did he let his glasses slide down to the tip of his nose so that he could see her over the black rim.

"Damon," slinging the bag over her shoulder, Elena came up to him. "What are you doing here?"

"That's a nice form of a _Good morning_," he smirked, his eyebrows rising up.

"Sorry," Elena offered him a small smile. "Is everything okay?"

"Sure. Why wouldn't it be?"

"Maybe because you're not exactly a morning person, and it's only," she paused to look at her watch, "7.45 now?"

"Oh, that… well, yeah."

"What are you doing here so early?"

"Nothing," he shrugged. "Just making sure my little brother doesn't go on a killing spree all over again. It's a public place after all, with so much food walking around."

"He wouldn't." Elena gave him a reproachful look and it was only then that she realized… "Where's Stefan anyway?"

She looked around but his red sports car was nowhere to be seen.

"I am here to make sure he doesn't kill anyone but I can't drive him to school, Elena. What would other kids think? They would pick on him and it would be all my fault all over again." He gave her a meaningful look and then his eyes narrowed.

"What?" She asked suspiciously.

"Do you have a cut or something?" Damon asked, and it was probably the most unexpected question she ever heard in her entire life.

"I... yes." She looked down at her index finger. A long thin red line ran on the outer side of it – a paper cut. "Why would you ask that? Is that a big deal now?"

"You smell like blood," he scoffed. "I was curious."

"Gee, thanks." Elena made a face at him. "This is, like, the cutest thing I've ever heard."

"Anytime, Elena," he winked at her.

The bell rang and they turned to look at the crowed that started to squeeze through the doors hurrying to get to the classrooms.

"My class…" Elena observed the parking lot once last time. "I've gotta go." She made several steps and then turned back to Damon again. "You sure you don't want to tell me anything else?"

"Your boyfriend's late," he pointed out. "Maybe I should ground him for skipping classes."

On a small smile that she was unable to hold back, Elena shook her head.

He watched her go inside of the building feeling… well, weird. Something was bugging him but he couldn't figure out what it was. Something was wrong. Something felt different and he didn't like it. And what he liked even less was that he didn't know where to start.

His phone started to ring making Damon wince. He didn't need to look at the caller ID to know who was on the other end of the line.

Still, he fished it out of the pocket of his jacket and pushed the answer button.

"Sherriff?"

"_Damon, I am sorry for calling you this early_," she sounded more anxious than apologetic though, he could also hear other voices in the background and some noises, like the footsteps and rustle of the evidence plastic bags.

"I don't like your voice," he said hoping he managed to mimic it. _If only because I know what you're going say_, he added mentally.

"_There was another attack." _Bingo!_ "Stacey Williams, college student from New York."_

_What? _

Damon froze. "What?"

"_Her friend told us they were on the road trip of some sort_," Sherriff went on oblivious to the nature of Damon's surprise. "_When Stacey didn't come back to the motel they stopped at, she called the police_." She paused then. "_I believe I don't need to tell you it wasn't a… human attack_."

_Crap!_

"I'll be right there," he told briskly and disconnected.

And what the hell was going on now?

He was about to get in the car when Stefan pulled up beside him. Damon paused waiting for him to get out.

"Damon."

"You're late."

"What are you doing here?"

Damon ignored his question, too distracted to come up with some quick and witty response. "We've got a problem," he said instead and looked around as if making sure no one could hear them.

Stefan frowned. "What is it?"

"Don't know yet." Which was annoying like hell. "Just keep your eyes open. And call me if you see something strange. Anything." He slipped into the car and slammed the door.

"What? Damon-"

But he was already revving back and out of the parking lot while scrolling down the contact list on his phone. Saw the name he was looking for and hit the dial button.

"Morning, Ric. Guess what?"

* * *

"_Please, Jenna_," the voice on the other end of the line was all but begging. "_I am stuck here with this dress, which will be oh-so-ridiculously… _something_. It looks pretty, but there's no way I can get out of here any time soon and pick the schedule myself_."

Jenna let out a desperate growl, more for the show than in actual frustration. "Fine, but you owe me for this," she agreed not really struggling. She knew she would eventually, so why waste their time?

"_Thank you! You're a lifesaver_," Elena sighed with relief. "_I love you_."

"Like I said, you owe me."

The school parking lot was empty for the most part. In the light of lonely streetlamps she made out five or six vehicles.

She pulled into it, found the closest to the entrance spot and killed the engine. Only a few windows were lit up but she knew that the seeming emptiness was an illusion. Now that the Founder's Day was creeping in on them, the committee responsible for the show was practically living at school arranging and re-arranging the stuff to make the celebration rock, which made her feel sorry for all of them.

Jenna hopped out and slammed the door cringing at the echo that scattered about the parking lot, and looked around.

The whole neighborhood seemed to be completely deserted and being all alone in the open space, surrounded by deep black shadows, sent shiver down her body.

The office next to the principal's was almost packed. People were drawing the banners, sorting out the decorations, chatting and arguing about the positions of the participants on the platforms. Some of them drank coffee from white foam cups, and the smell of it was as fresh and thick as in the coffee shop.

Jenna stopped in the doorway to observe the chaos, which to her surprise seemed to be having some weird order to it. It was past her how these people managed to spend here all the time and still stay in their right mind. She left Mystic Falls the year her class was supposed to organize the celebration thus losing her chance to be a part of the madness, and now she didn't know whether to regret it or to be relieved that she managed to avoid it.

It was almost a life and death task to wiggle through the constantly moving crowd to the far end of the room, and by the time Jenna reached it, her head was spinning from all the buzz around her. She collected a copy of preliminary parade schedule from a busy-looking girl in round glasses who seemed to be speaking much faster than it was natural for a human, which probably was a side-effect of the honor to be on the committee. The girl warned her that it might change and the final version would only be printed out and distributed a week before the celebration. Of course, all participants would be informed immediately.

Making her way to the exit, Jenna felt almost sorry for Elena who had to deal with that on the daily basis. But sorry or not, she preferred to get out of there before the hurricane swept her off her feet and swallowed her, too.

The corridors were mainly dark, except for the dim lamps that were left on in the hallways, their light crating pale pools in between the spots of the darkness. After the noise of the committee room the silence outside was almost deafening. Jenna reached the corner and turned to the right but instead of reaching the exit she found herself standing at the gym doors.

It should have been left then instead of right, she realized belatedly trying to figure out how to get out of the building without getting lost again. For some reason the place looked completely different at night. The echo of her footsteps was creepy and it also made an illusion of someone walking after her, which wasn't true of course but for some reason it was a little more than unnerving.

Not that she wasn't familiar with the place though. Next corridor to the right and then another turn to the left, and she'd get to the cafeteria, which was not more than half a minute walk from the exit. God, she hoped Jeremy called for pizza. She was starving…

She turned the corner and it was only then that she noticed that the lights were on in the history class. She stopped. So, it wasn't only the Founder's Day committee that worked late today. The corners of Jenna's lips tugged up slightly. Well, maybe this circle on the way home had its bright side after all.

She heard his voice when she was about ten feet from the door, and she thought he was talking on the phone first, until another voice – a female one – made her freeze in her track as her heart fell.

"You don't know, Ric? Really?" The woman asked curiously, if a little sarcastically.

"I loved you, Isobel." Alaric's voice was quiet and strained, but there was determination in it, too. "You have no idea how much I loved you. You were everything for me. I would do anything for you."

The silence fell then.

Jenna bit her lower lip feeling dizzy and sick, crashed by what she had just heard. Her head was spinning as the words replayed over and over in her mind. Carefully, she tiptoed back to where she came from trying to hold her breath lest they hear her. She needed to get out. Now! She didn't want to be there. She didn't want to hear any of that. And least of all she needed to be caught.

* * *

He was working late. There were several essays to check and it took him a while, which wasn't surprising considering how much time he was spending on his research and reading the records that went back to 1860s in between. The Founder's Day celebration and participation of his class added a fair share of work to his agenda.

Alaric pinched the bridge of his nose squeezing his eyes shut for a moment as his mind drifted between his students' works and the books he had piled up on his desk. Should have gone for some coffee, he thought but instead of actually doing so, he reached for the next paper. Hopefully, he'd be done before midnight. Good thing was that they at least left him out of the scenario whiting, which was totally okay with Ric as long as he knew he'd get his copy in time to get ready for the parade.

His hand froze half way through…

There was no sound, or movement, or the stir of the air, but something had changed, and he knew he wasn't alone in the poorly lit classroom anymore. He was getting used to that prickling feeling already, what with so many creatures lurking around in the shadows, which of course didn't exactly make it any more comfortable.

He looked up… and saw her standing in the doorway, her hands tucked casually into the pockets of her black raincoat.

"Isobel." Paper forgotten, he straightened up in the chair.

"Hello, Ric," she made her way in, calm and confident.

She looked classy, he decided ignoring that longing feeling that first settled inside of him when she went missing two years ago. He was still having it every time he thought about her. It faded a little over time, but it wasn't gone and some part of him knew it never would. Like, an aftermath of so many years of marriage, and the bond he thought they had, and shared dreams. Well, _his_ dreams for the most part. The thought was sour and painful, and knowing that she wasn't feeling the same – probably never did – only made it worse.

Alaric kept his cool though, at least externally. Or so he hoped.

"What are you doing here?"

Isobel's brows shot up. "I heard you were looking for me." And maybe it was just his imagination, but her voice sounded slightly amused, too.

Her answer though made him snicker, and it came out bitter and humorless. "Seriously?" He shook his head and then locked his eyes on hers. "I've been looking for you for two years and it didn't seem to bother you much. So what do I owe the honor now?"

She didn't answer at once taking her time to study his face. "I didn't come only because of that," admitted then on a nonchalant shrug.

"My point exactly. Moreover, I'm sure you'd never do that out of… sorry, nearly said humanity. My mistake." Surprisingly, it wasn't that hard to keep his voice even while talking to her. Almost at all. "Which makes me wonder, of course, what do you want?"

"I needed to talk to you."

"Business or a nice walk down the memory lane?" his brows quirked up as Ric got up to his feet, circled his desk and leaned against it, his arms folded on his chest. He hated having to look up at her, and this way they at least had their eyes on the same level.

"Why are you trying to make it hard?"

"Why is it hard for you? You don't care," he reminded her. "What is it, Isobel?"

"Elena."

The answer caught Alaric by surprise and he frowned in misunderstanding.

"Why would you want to talk about her to me?"

"Because I want you to talk to her."

_Huh?_

"Why? You two had a nice start so far. You blackmailed her threatening to kill her friends and family, forcing her to be a delivery girl for you when you decided that someone else should do your dirty work for you. Am I missing something?" He went on when she didn't express any reaction to his words. "Go and talk to her yourself, Isobel. And don't you dare use me as your messenger boy again."

"She won't listen to me," she said calmly.

"Well, it's not like you can blame her."

"You, on the other hand…" Isobel ignored his comment. "I want her to stay away from the Salvatore brothers. And don't tell me you have another opinion on this matter."

Ric considered her words. "You know you're, like, 17 years late with that, don't you?"

"Don't put sentimental context to my request," she told him, as if it was obvious.

"Sure. Another mistake of mine. I seem to do so many of them when it comes to you."

She didn't comment on that. "Why were you looking for me, Ric?" Isobel asked making it clear that the previous conversation was over.

Yeah, right. Over all this lost love and family talk he nearly forgot about their little dead problem.

"Two young girls were killed last night. Their bodies were drained of blood and left practically in the middle of the town, like some sort of a message."

"And?"

"Do you know anything about it?"

Isobel watched him somewhat apprehensively before speaking again. "Are you asking me if I killed them?"

"Did you?"

She let out a short laugh. "No."

"Do you know anyone who could have done it?"

"Let's start with the Salvatore brothers."

"Well, it's not like they search for publicity. Anyone else?"

"And how about not being anyone's messengers, Ric?"

On that, she turned on her heels and went to the door.

"Why didn't you tell me, Isobel?" He blurted out, and only realized that he said it out loud when she stopped and turned.

"What, exactly?"

He hesitated. "Everything." Because there was time he thought they were closer than that. That they were meant for each other. That she knew he would always be there for her even if he couldn't always understand her or share her passion for supernatural. Because he always believed in them.

He needed to know why.

"What would it change? What would you do if you knew all of that?"

"I don't know," he said honestly, feeling helpless.

"You don't know, Ric? Really?"

Suddenly he felt so endlessly tired under her expecting gaze. As if the weight of the whole world fell on his shoulders.

"I loved you, Isobel. You have no idea how much I loved you. You were everything to me. I would do anything for you." His voice dropped. The pause was long and the tension was so thick in the air that he could practically touch it. "And now you want me to believe that all these years mean nothing to you?" Ric broke the silence. "You want me to ignore the fact that we were happy once? Well, I can't. I can't just cross it out of my mind the way you did, and move on. I don't believe there was anything we couldn't fix together." And God help him, but he meant every single word.

"Are you saying you would do that for me?" She sounded incredulous and genuinely surprised.

"You never bothered to ask."

She considered his words.

"And what would you say if I asked it now?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Apparently, it was _my_ mistake to leave you out of this back then. What if I offered it to you now, Ric? What would you say if … if there still was a chance for us to be together for eternity?"

She might have as well said she was from another planet and he wouldn't have been more shocked.

Alaric pushed himself off of the table and came up closer to her. So close that she could feel the sweet scent of her perfume. There was something… some part of him longed to hear these words so much – if only to know that not everything was lost for them – that he couldn't believe that it actually happened. Some part of him still wanted to know that there was something left in this creature from the woman that meant a whole world to him once. He wanted to close his eyes on all the lies, on all the issues. He wanted everything to be back the way it was. They could…

"Are you serious?" His voice was barely above whisper.

"If that's what you want."

"For two years I waited, and hoped, and prayed. I wanted nothing else but for you to come back. And I wanted it so bad that I was ready to sell my soul if only it meant getting you back, Isobel." His eyes never left hers. "Do you have any idea what it feels like to love someone so much? Do you know how much it hurts to know that you've lost that someone forever? It rips you apart. It drives you crazy and in the end you want nothing but to die." He stopped . "There is only one thing I can say now." He leaned in a little and lowered his voice. "Go to hell."

Her eyes turned ice-cold in a moment.

"Well, my best wishes to you, too, Ric."

Alaric didn't know for how long he simply stared at the door after Isobel was gone, numb, his head pretty empty. Then, as if snapping out of some trans, he let out a long sign and rubbed at his face feeling drained of any energy.

God, it hurt. It still hurt like hell. How was it even possible? It was supposed to fade after all the things she had said to him. Why would it happen to them? How was he supposed to accept the fact that so many years of his life were a one big fat lie? Why would she do it to both of them?

With the heart still pounding dully in his chest, restless, Ric got back to his desk. It didn't look like he could finish the essays today. There was too much on his mind to concentrate on his work. He picked up his mobile. Jenna's was the last number in the log of outgoing calls and for a moment he finger lingered on the dial button. But then he just put it away. He wanted to hear her voice – badly – if only to make sure there was something else to his life than this endless nightmare, but he didn't know what to say, and the knot of nerves that he was, he knew he'd end up with something that wouldn't do any good to both of them.

But the real thing that bothered Ric the most was that he told the truth. Had Isobel asked him to come with her, he didn't know what he'd say. The thought was crazy, almost insane, and going back to who he was two years ago, he's be shocked, struck with the offer. But… but there was a chance that it wouldn't be a _No_, and it frightened him.

**To be continued…

* * *

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Thanks for reading! Comments are always appreciated ;)


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's notes:** First of all I would like to thank everyone for reading and reviewing my story :) I really appreciate it to an extent that I can't express in words. I do my best to keep it entertaining. Promise!

* * *

**Chapter 3 **

It was a fantastic feeling. Sensation, power running through her veins. The kind of energy she thought she could never have enough. The more she had, the more she wanted to have. And she liked it. She liked it so much!

This was new, and amazing, and she wondered how she could possibly live without this feeling before. It was so fabulous, so wonderful… it made her head spin like a glass of red wine, only it was a thousand times better, and unlike alcohol – it never waved out. It only grew stronger with each day.

She felt so good. She felt like the whole world belonged to her and her alone. She felt like she could have it all at her feet – always.

And the fear… oh, she liked the fear. The power of it, the energy that was coming from it. She could almost absorb it. And that was why she liked to cause it.

The memory made her eyes narrow and her hands ball into fists. A hot wave of anger and hatred that she never thought one could feel swept over her blinding her for a moment, deafening her. She was going to make them regret what they did. They were going to pay. But it wouldn't be easy. No, they would have to go through what she'd gone through first, and then she'd think whether to make it slow and easy or long and painful.

But… she'd have to feed first.

* * *

"Jenna?"

The voice gave Jenna a start and she snapped her head up to see Elena standing in the doorway to the dining room in black tank top and pajama pants blinking sleepily at her.

"What are you doing up so late? It's nearly two in the morning."

_Good question!_

"The draft of my thesis is due on Tuesday morning," Jenna explained. "And this," nodded towards several sentences written on a piece of paper lying before her, "is pretty much all I have so far." She ran her fingers through her hair. "And it doesn't make much sense even to me."

Elena approached the table and leaned against the back of one of the chairs.

"You should go and have some rest," she said, her voice slightly hoarse from sleep. "It's not like it's going to make more sense if you keep sitting here."

"Yeah," Jenna rubbed tiredly at her eyes. "You're probably right."

"I am," Elena smiled heading out. "Go to bed. I'm sure you'll be full of bright ideas in the morning."

"Sounds good. Elena," she called after the girl twiddling the pen in her hands.

Elena stopped and turned. "Mm?"

"Can I tell you something?"

"Sure," she shrugged.

"We never talked about it." _Because it's not exactly the things you feel comfortable talking about_, she added mentally. "I don't like this whole vampire thing, and I don't approve of you dating Stefan and mess with all of that."

"Jenna…" Elena started in exhausted voice.

"No, wait. Let me finish. Please." She waited for any objection and then went on when heard none. "I do not approve of any of that," she repeated. "But I am not going to tell you what to do and I am not going to give you any advices. First of all because this stupid 50-50-90 rule have a tendency to work all the time."

"What rule?" Elena watched her with confusion.

"Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of doing something right, there's a 90% probability you'll do it wrong," Jenna quoted. "Well, closer to the point." She looked Elena in the eye. "I want it to be your decision and you should make it for yourself. I want you to know that you know what you're doing, and whether you will regret it or not, and I hope that whatever you choose you will never regret it, it should be all yours. I am sorry, I am not your mom. I don't know the right words and what's good or bad for you. But I also want you to know this – whatever you choose and whatever it will lead to, I will always be on your side."

For a moment Elena just started at her, clearly not quite understanding what it was all about.

"Thanks," she said in the end still watching Jenna warily, if a little suspiciously. "That's… nice. And now seriously, Jenna, what's wrong?"

"What? Everything's…"

"It's way past midnight," Elena came back, pulled out the chair next to Jenna's and lowered herself heavily onto it. "I am not even sure I'm awake, so please, let's skip the 'Everything's fine' part and move right to what's going on."

Jenna dropped her eyes to the table and shook her head. "It's nothing. Really. You're right, I should have gone to bed hours ago instead of…" she trailed off.

Elena ignored her. "Is it Alaric... I mean, Mr. Saltzman?" The reminding of him made Jenna chuckle bitterly. "A-a-and, I guess I can take it as _yes_. Obviously, there should've been a reason for you to bury yourself in the books. What happened?"

"I wish I knew." Finally, she looked up at Elena's face. "How do you know what's right or wrong, Elena? No, really, how? Every time I try to do something right, it works the other way around. I had pretty much failed with you and Jeremy."

"No, Jenna, it's not true-"

Jenna didn't seem to hear her though. "And just when I thought something was working out properly at last…" she cut off. "I've made this mistake with Logan. Twice. And the result was always the same. And now…"

"Is that about… Isobel?" Elena asked cautiously. For some reason they kept avoiding talking about her. Much. Yet, it seemed to be an inevitable question now. And it didn't go past Jenna that she referred to Isobel by the name.

Jenna chewed on her lower lip before answering. "She was the love of his life, you know. I cannot fight against _that_. Okay, screw Logan. It's different now, what I'm saying is that… is that I'm not sure I can make through all of this again. I just… can't." And added, more to herself than to Elena, "And if feels weird talking to you about it."

"Tell me that," Elena's lips quirked into a small humorless smile.

"Oh, God, I'm sorry, Elena. I am so sorry for pouring all of that our on you at…" she paused to look at her watch, "01.55 in the morning. You have enough to deal with without my whining."

"Stop it, okay?" Elena reached out and covered Jenna's hand with her palm. "Look, I am in position to give any advices either. Somewhere out there is a vampire who looks like a reflection in my mirror and I dread to even imagine what she is capable of, but… Honestly, I don't think that it should be about fighting. It's more about… trust. Which, I know, sounds lame." Elena sighed. "But it's all I can offer when my brain doesn't really work."

"Right," Jenna arranged her stuff on the table in a neat pile and put the pen on top of it. "Come on, let's go. You've got school first thing in the morning, and me… I'm going to hit the library and drown myself in the nightmare of paperwork." She got up and pulled Elena after her.

"Jenna?" she wrapped her arm around her aunt's shoulders. "I know it's not the best idea to take seriously the words of someone who has a vampire for a boyfriend, but… give yourself more credit."

"Oh, please shut up and don't keep my hopes up. It's you who'll have to deal with a broken-hearted me if you're wrong."

"We've got a fridge stuffed with a good old Rocky-Road. I'm in."

* * *

It was a crow. An ordinary crow, if only a little too big for a bird, with the wings that were so deep black that they seemed to be almost bluish. And it was watching Jenna with its oily black eyes glinting in the moonlight. The intelligence and curiosity in them was fascinating and unnerving, and for some reason the realization made Jenna's blood run cold. She found herself almost unable to look away as if there was something hypnotizing about the way the bird kept turning its head from side to side. They were so deep and so black, like two pools of black paint… She could even see her own reflection in them.

And then the bird cocked its head as if wanting to have a better angle of view and opened its beak in soundless croak_._ And everything began to turn red around them brining bloody shades to the entire world.

Fear settled and started to grow inside of her but Jenna couldn't move and couldn't scream. All she could do was watch the bird as it spread its wings, took off the marble gravestone, made a small circle above her head and then peaked down, its razor-sharp claws aiming for her throat…

Jenna woke up with the start gasping for breath.

It was a dream. It was just a dream, she realized, and God, had she ever been more relieved?

She fell back onto the pillows and raked her fingers through her hair, taking deep slow breaths in an attempt to calm down her crazy heartbeat. It felt so real, so vivid. As if she'd actually been in that graveyard with the blood-red moon hanging in the pitch-black sky above them. A bit too vivid for comfort.

Sleepily, she rubbed at her eyes and rolled over, her gaze stopping at the alarm clock on the nightstand. It was a little past 4 in the morning and she groaned in frustration burying her face into the pillow for a moment. The stupid bird still remained before her mind's eyes as some cruel taunt. There was no way for her to fall asleep again any time soon.

It was a gust of chilly wind that made her lift her head up again. She had left the window open before going to bed and now the air in the room was just a little above freezing level.

On a sigh Jenna groped for the reading lamp switch and squeezed her eyes shut when the light blinded her for a moment. She tossed her blankets away then and shivered a little when her bare feet touched the cold floor. The house was silent. She paused for a moment to pick up her cell phone from the dresser. No new messages. Jenna tried to pretend she didn't care. It was easier to lie to someone else than to herself though. She had to let go, but she didn't know how.

She stopped by the window peering into the blackness outside, listening. Everything was still and silent.

It was only then that she noticed a small square of paper lying on the windowsill. A small beige postcard, the bouquet type, with a delicate grapevine ornament on the front side.

Jenna frowned and picked it up, puzzled. She opened it and read two words written in red ink: "_Sweet dreams_". Sweet dreams? If this could possibly get any creepier, she couldn't imagine how. What the hell was this thing and how did it get here?

She looked out the window once again, somewhat alarmed now, as if expecting to see something – _someone_ – outside, but everything remained as empty and quiet as a minute ago. All she could hear was her own heartbeat and the rustle of dry leaves scattering along the pavement. But there was something else out there, too. She could feel it with her skin. Some uneasiness. Something… scary. One of the secrets of the dark that everyone feared on primitive level.

And then all of a sudden she saw it. A blur of a movement out of the corner of her eye, smooth and soundless. She looked up and saw the crow landing on the tree right outside her window. The branch swayed a little under the bird's weight. It folded its wings, adjusted its position – and stared at Jenna as if waiting for something.

Jenna froze in her spot staring back at the crow, feeling the chill run down her spine. It was like in that stupid nightmare of hers, only a million times worse because this time it was real.

_I'm going crazy_.

She closed the window in one harried jerky movement, scared that if she didn't do it fast enough, the bird might as well try to get inside and… what? Try to kill her? Jesus, she _was_ going crazy.

Still breathing hard, she shut the curtains making sure she left no gaps and then backed off to her bed not quite up to turning her back to the window. Cell phone clutched in her hand, she lowered herself onto the edge, not so stable on her shaking legs, somewhat expecting to hear the sound of the breaking glass any moment, almost sure the crow would try to get in.

Jenna didn't know how much time had passed till she let out the breath she didn't even realized she was holding and finally let herself relax a little. Everything was still. She couldn't even hear the wind now that the window was closed. And it didn't look like there was something wanting to get her. She let out a small nervous chuckle. God, it was just a dream, and there, outside the house, was just a bird, and the whole situation was just a coincidence and not some weird horror movie. She wouldn't have paid any attention to the crow at all if it wasn't for a dream, Jenna realized. And the dream was just a dream and nothing else. It was hardly possible for something to crawl out of it and attack her.

She got up, relived that there was a simple and logical explanation of her jumpiness. Debated going and checking if the crow was still outside, but then decided not to. For some reason this whole Hitchcock situation made her feel uncomfortable as if there was something else to it but she just couldn't see it. And the best thing she could probably do was go back to bed and try to get some sleep, she decided.

It was only then that she realized that she was still holding the postcard in her hand, its edge angling painfully into her palm.

Jenna opened it again and re-read the words several times. They still didn't make any sense. She examined it closely then, but found nothing of interest. It didn't have any explanation of how it got into her room written on it.

In the end, she climbed under her covers again, still turning the piece of paper in her fingers not quite sure why it bothered her so much. But then again, her whole life wasn't making much sense, so why some smaller things would?

Jenna sighed and put the postcard and her cell phone onto the nightstand. He fears were irrational and she knew it. She was too tired and too sleepy to think straight at this time anyway. She paused for a moment fighting a wish to make a phone-call that she knew would make her feel much better, but then just reached out and switched off the light. And maybe it was just her imagination, but when she threw another anxious look at the window, she was almost sure she could still see the silhouette of the crow sitting on the tree, its form a black spot against her curtains.

* * *

Uncle John was the first person Elena saw when she came downstairs in the morning. He was sitting at the table with an empty plate before him and sipping something from his cup, morning news-paper in his hand. Unfortunately, she saw him too late. She skidded to a halt all the same and tried to tiptoe back upstairs as soundlessly as possible. It would have been too easy though.

"Good morning, Elena," he greeted her without actually looking her way.

She stifled a sigh and braced herself for the inevitable walking into the kitchen.

"Morning, Uncle John."

It was hard to sound exciting at this early hour and in his presence but she hoped she had at least pulled off being polite. Getting into a fight of any sort with this man was the last thing on her wish-list now.

She made her way actors the kitchen and straight to the cupboard. Fetched a cup and reached for the coffee pot feeling John's gaze on her back all the way through and trying to ignore it, wondering what could he possibly have on his mind. It always surprised her how good his relationship with her father was since he practically drove the rest of the family mad.

Elena filled the mug inhaling the fresh bitter smell.

"Oh, God, coffee," Jenna appeared behind her back and got a cup for herself, filled it and leaned against the counter, her eyes sleepy. "Mmm," she all but moaned at the first sip.

"Why is everyone in this family addicted to coffee?" John wondered half-amused, half-mock worried.

"And this is your business why, exactly?" Jenna asked him darkly.

"What?" He exclaimed defensively. "I care."

"Yeah, right."

They all turned when Jeremy stomped down the staircase. He paused and looked at all of them staring back at him in turns, shook his head and headed for the door.

"Hey, Jer," Elena hurried after him into the hallway. "You need a ride?"

"Don't bother," he threw over the shoulder not looking at her and slammed the door behind him.

Jenna poked her head out of the kitchen, confused.

"What's wrong with the two of you?" John asked leaning back in his chair so that he could see the hallway.

"Nothing," Elena shook her head.

"If you need to talk-" he started and gave her a confident look.

Elena turned to Jenna helplessly not sure she was capable of dealing with him on her own.

"Just stay out of it," Jenna told John coolly and put her mug onto the counter. She turned to Elena then. "_You_ need a ride?"

"Yes, thanks."

Relieved, she grabbed her bag and followed Jenna out of the house and into the chilly morning air blinking in the early sun.

"So much for the early start," Jenna mumbled as she got inside the car, threw her back into the backseat and buckled the seatbelt waiting for Elena to follow. "Okay, now tell me, what's wrong with you and Jeremy?" She asked as she pulled into the street.

"Nothing," it sounded unconvincing even to her own ears, and Elena cringed inwardly. "Usual brother and sister stuff. We fight all the time."

"You never fight," Jenna pointed out. "That's why I'm worried."

"It's okay, Jenna. We'll… work it out." She paused. "How long is Uncle John going to stay anyway?"

"I don't know. I stopped asking because apparently the more I ask, the more determined he is to stay," Jenna made a face. "The question is – would the reversed psychology work?" Elena hemmed to it, "Did he ever mention anything to you?"

"Not a word."

On top of everything else, Uncle John and his questionable connections both to the council and the vampires was exactly what she needed to believe that the world was falling apart around her. And with the Founder's Parade looming before her, all she really wanted was to get him out of her mind. She was tired of always being on alert with everyone scared to say or do the things she wasn't supposed to. It was exhausting, not to mention – irritating.

Jenna pulled up right in front of the entrance.

"Here you go," she turned to Elena. "I'll try to be back before dinner."

"Okay," Elena reached for the door handle, but the paused. "Aren't you going to come in for a visit? Mr. Saltzman is already here."

_Tempting_. Jenna tapped her fingers on the steering wheel, her eyes locked on the history class windows. One of the shadows moving behind them could be Ric. Her stomach twisted at the memory of the last time she came _near_ that class. They hadn't talked ever since and... Truth be told, she didn't quite know what to say would they meet any time soon, if there was anything at all. Tempting or not, but she didn't want to be a stalker.

"Mmm, no." She shook her head on a small rueful smile. "I don't think it's a good idea. Guess, I better skip." Made an effort to keep her expression bright but failed miserably.

"You're being childish," Elena pointed out with reprimand.

Jenna considered her words and nodded with mock-serious expression. "And immature, too. And don't forget narrow-minded. But I had to be a grown-up a lot lately, so take it as a safe escape."

Elena chuckled softly and pushed the door open.

"Stay out of trouble," Jenna called out after her.

Elena hopped out of the car. "Yeah, you too."

* * *

Damon walked into the history class some time after all the classes were over and the school was practically empty, with the exception of the cheerleaders who occupied the gym and several people who got stuck in the library.

"Have you heard it?" He said skipping the greeting.

"Heard what?" Alaric turned away from the bookshelf and took in the vampire's pissed-off face.

"Third body. They found the third body this morning." No, he wasn't just pissed off. He was annoyed like hell, and pretty angry, too. "Some guy who liked to jog before dawn." Damon cursed under his breath. "Apparently, he should have been faster."

Alaric froze frowning. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, Liz… Sheriff Forbes called me this morning." Damon sounded disgusted. "We're, like, best friends when it comes to dealing with the bodies, which is not exactly my idea of fun, _believe_ me."

"What do they think about it?"

"What do you think they think about it? They're horrified and a step away from pure panic." He ran his fingers through his hair. "We're not that far from having the Council setting the houses on fire if only to make sure the vampires are not hiding in any of them. And I wish I knew a little bit more than they at this point." He grimaced. "Speaking of… Have you talked to Isobel? Is she still here?"

The reminder of her made Ric's chest tighten. "Yeah."

"And?"

"It's not her." Ric put the book he was holding back on the shelf.

"Because she said so?" Damon specified.

"Yes."

"And you believed her?"

"What did you expect me to do?" Alaric faced him again. "Interrogate her? Tie her to the chair and inject her with vervain and only then start asking questions?"

"Now, _that_ sounds nice!" Damon's lips curved into a dreamy grin.

Alaric let the comment slip. "She said she didn't do it. It's not like we can prove it wrong."

"Well, there's that interrogation thing you offered…" Ric scolded him. "Just saying!" Damon put his hands up. "Geez, what's wrong with you?"

"There's some homicidal creature on the loose that can be a threat to every single person in this town. Should I really answer your question?"

"No, Ric, seriously. You are… I don't know, edgy." Damon gave him an appreciative once-over. "As if you've got a stake in your sleeve. And if you actually do… Come on, what is it? And don't tell me that it's your school stuff… because I wouldn't believe it even if it was true."

"Nothing."

"Sure. And this is exactly why you look like you don't belong on this planet."

"Now we have to think about how we can track this thing down," he changed the subject. "Bad thing that you guys can't sense each other."

"Tell me about it," Damon breathed out and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Any bright ideas? I am kind of tired of roaming in the darkness."

"Did you tell Stefan?"

"Sort of," Damon shrugged. "I told him to keep his eyes open. Hopefully, he will."

"To keep his eyes open for what?"

"I don't know, anything odd. I guess it's a good thing that he can get somewhat paranoid when it comes to Elena's safety. I secretly hope that one day his broodiness will come handy, too. He's got too much of it anyway. But… back to the topic. If it is a vampire we're talking about, then we have nothing to worry about at least until sundown."

"And yet we're still at square one."

"Yeah, and since we don't have much to discuss yet, you can tell me what's wrong with you."

Ric didn't reply at once. Instead, he rubbed at his forehead and walked back to his desk. Looking at the piles of books and stationery made everything look familiar and comfortable, except that he knew it was just an illusion of comfort. Damon was right, he was edgy and a bit out of place ever since last night. And all these killing weren't exactly helping the matters.

"It's Isobel." He heaved an exhausted sigh fully aware that his voice was probably a little too helpless than he preferred it to be. "She… said one thing to me, and I can't get it out of mind." It felt a little weird talking to Damon about it – if only because being mocked about it wasn't what he needed in this life, but the truth was, he was close to believing that if he hadn't gotten over it soon, his brain was going to explode.

"Yeah, she can do that," Damon agreed. "Oh, sorry. What was it?"

"She asked me what would I do if she offered me to join her. Back then, two years ago." His voice was flat and dull as if his thoughts were somewhere else. "And the truth is, I didn't know what to say."

Damon took his time to consider his words. His lips quirked into a humorless smirk then.

"The truth is, you wouldn't."

"I wouldn't – what?"

"You wouldn't do it, Ric." Damon peered at him, his gaze serious and intense. "If Isobel offered it to you, you wouldn't agree."

"You can't know that."

"But I do." He shrugged. "You're not the type."

"I'm not the… _type_?" Alaric's brows furrowed. "Like, I don't have the guts?"

"No, it's not about being brave, or something else ridiculous. And I can't believe we are actually having this conversation," he added under his breath.

"Well, you started it. Now tell me what you mean," Ric demanded.

"Forget it," Damon waved his hand.

"No, seriously, Damon, tell me."

Damon heaved a frustrated sigh. "Oh, okay, whatever. Just remember that you asked for it." He made a face at Ric. "See, there's a certain type of people who would agree to become vampires on their free will. I'm not talking about compulsion, or other tricks, or _accidents_. I'm talking about those who make this decision willingly. About those who understand the consequences and the price." He sounded somewhat distant now, too. "These people… they are," he paused fighting for the right words, "_incomplete_ in some way. Restless. There's something missing in them, and they search for what would fill this hole. People that…" he puckered his lips. "People that have nothing to lose."

"But… Isobel did have what to lose."

"That's what _you_ think," Damon pointed out. "I believe she had already proved she had another opinion on that. If it wasn't that, then it'd be something else. Anything. Maybe collecting bus tickets or sky-diving. I don't know. And you're," he gave Ric a long studying once-over, "You're different. If she offered you to become a vampire, you wouldn't agree. Instead, you would try to talk her out of it. You'd try to reason with her, or something. But it would never work, and you know why? Because she's the one and you're not. It's not _in_ you."

"How do you know that?"

Damon rolled his eyes. "Because I do. You and Stefan… you're very much alike." He caught Ric's puzzled look. "Yeah, he's not the type either. Believe me, he's not… and I don't think he would ever do it if the things didn't happen the way they did." And added, more to himself that to Ric, "Sometimes feelings are not enough. There should be something else… So please, stop killing yourself over it, it's depressing."

Clearly, he was feeling uncomfortable and extremely annoyed. Because of the Isobel talk or not, Ric didn't know. And truth be told, he wasn't really up to keeping up the discussion. Damon's words only made everything look even more complicated now. Yeah, as if he didn't have enough on his mind to keep his head spinning.

"Let me tell you one thing," Damon said all of a sudden jerking Ric out of his thoughts. His eyes were sharp and his voice was firm and determined. "She left you because of some ephemeral dream of the world she had no idea about. Did she even know what she was going to do with it? I doubt that. She didn't bother to even tell you it in the face. All this time she hardly cared about what you were feeling, thinking that she was dead. All the suffering you'd been going through… Or whatever chick-flick moments you had. She didn't give a damn. And then she comes back and tells you in that charming manner of hers that she would go and start killing people if you don't do what she wants." He hemmed here. "She was and is a selfish cold-hearted bitch. No pressure, just stating the obvious. Can we move on to other things now?"

Alaric watched his face for a long moment. All the things that Damon said – about how Isobel left and her attitude, he had thought of them so many times still trying to convince himself that it wasn't true. Hearing them from someone else was strange. It felt a little like violation of his personal space, as if Damon came up and looked right into his mind without permission to do so. His words were cutting Ric like a cold knife – cruel and merciless. But on the other hand it also made his speculations more real and solid, with the only exception that he wasn't sure that he wanted to hear it as it meant that all his illusions were shattering to pieces all over again. Not that he had much of them left but still…

The silence was broken by a loud laughter right outside the window, and it snapped Ric back to the sunlit classroom and the Founder's Day parade costumes and the clock ticking on the wall above the chalkboard.

He did not comment on Damon's words. And what could he possibly say? Agreeing felt stupid. Objecting would make him look like a fool because against all odds, he knew that the vampire was right, and the fact that he wasn't quite up to accepting it was his problem, not Damon's.

"There is one more thing," he said slowly, as of looking for the right words, not really sure that he wanted to bring it up at all but feeling that he probably should.

"What?"

"Isobel… She wants you to stay away from Elena."

Damon's brows lifted up almost to his hairline. "Well, I wouldn't mind her staying away form Elena either, assuming her motherly feelings are rather questionable whereas her homicidal side… you know," he scoffed.

Ric regarded him thoughtfully. "She's got point."

"What?"

"What's going on between the two of you?"

"Me and Isobel?" Damon blinked.

"You and Elena."

"Um… she's my brother's girlfriend. Why would you ask that anyway?"

Alaric shook his head. "If you want to keep it a secret, you have work on your poker-face, Damon."

"It's nothing," Damon pressed on with frustration, and added quietly looking away, "that she or my dear brother should know about."

"Just saying," Ric shrugged. "But back to our problem… Is there anything we can do?" He asked leaving the previous conversation behind. Not that either of them had much to say anyway. "Beside waiting and counting the bodies, I mean."

Damon winced at his wording. "Well, it's you who is the brains here. I'm just a killing machine." And then, "One thing I know for sure though – we better keep the Council off the track for a while. At least until we figure out who stands behind this crap. I hate to see Elena's dear uncle sneaking around leading his double game."

Alaric nodded, uncertain. There was something about this situation…

"Just tell me at what point it'll be our choice to go and burn down the whole town?"

"Here you go again," Damon rolled his eyes. "Drop this pessimism! Maybe staking occasional townies would be enough!" He winked at Ric and headed for the door.

"Damon," Alaric stopped him. "Are you sure it's not one of the tomb vampires?"

"No," Damon looked at him over the shoulder. "But like I said, we have nothing to worry about until sundown."

* * *

"I know I'm running late, Elena. Sorry." Jenna walked out of the glass doors of the University library with the phone squeezed between her ear and her shoulder… and was all but swept off of her feet by the severe gusts of chilly wind. It smelled like rain. "It took longer than I thought. I'm on my way, so… You two okay?" Waited for Elena to answer. "Good, I'll be home soon."

Involuntarily, she shivered and zipped her jacket up to her very chin. The wind kept throwing her hair into her face as she made her way across the parking lot and towards her car carefully holding her books and notes with the free hand lest they be torn out of her grip.

Despite her best intentions, she finished a couple of hours later than she intended, totally lost in her work, and was practically the last one to leave the library, with the exception of a geeky-looking guy in funny glasses whose head was barely visible behind huge piles of books that mounted all around him on the desk. Honestly, it was way beyond Jenna how the poor thing didn't crash under all that weight yet. All she could do was shake her head at the sight. It was… _admirable_.

At last, she reached her car. The alarm clinked softly and she climbed inside heaving a sigh of relief when she finally slammed the door shut and cut herself off of the madness outside.

Jenna turned the key in the ignition starting the engine. Arranged her stuff on the passenger's seat, buckled her seatbelt and then leaned back giving the engine some time to warm up and taking her chance to study the old library building with its huge floor-to-ceiling windows through which she could see rows of the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and the dome above all this magnificent beauty, all highlighted by the streetlamps and two security projectors. The campus was mostly empty, both due to the late time and the weather conditions that did not imply pleasant walks whatsoever.

She rubbed at her eyes stifling a yawn. It was a long day and she was exhausted. And truth be told, all she could think of was a long hot bath that had more chances to bring her back to life than anything else in the entire world. That, and a similarly long sleep maybe. Yeah, that would be nice!

The thought was inspiring.

Jenna straightened in her seat shaking off the sleepiness and turned on the headlights, adjusted the rearview mirror and pushed away the thought of Alaric staying off the radar lately. If that was what he wanted, then fine. She was not going to feel too bad about it, or at least she would stop feeling bad about it. Some time in the future. Hopefully.

She sighed. Yeah, she was getting pathetic and she knew it. And she hated not being able to do anything about it.

_Yeah, go on, feel sorry for yourself_, Jenna thought grimly cringing inwardly.

Absently, she reached out and turned on the radio but all she heard was the static noise. Frowning, she checked other stations but the result was the same. She turned it off. Probably the wind damaged something, she decided. Not that it was a big deal. She was about one hour away from Mystic Falls. Not that far at all, even though the idea of making all this way back in complete silence was a little depressing, what with all the thoughts she'd prefer to keep out of her mind at least for a little while.

Jenna drove out of the parking lot and into the road only pausing at the exit when she thought she saw… No, couldn't be. Her heart skipped a beat. Could it really be a crow sitting on top of the streetlamp?

She slowed down a little staring intensely into the rearview mirror but saw nothing. The XIX-century-styled lantern was empty – _of course!_ – and for some reason it looked oddly lonely. It was just a trick of light, she thought in the end. No living creature would be able to sit there without being swept off by the wind. It was light and the trees that shook violently throwing angular shades at everything around.

Simple as that, she told herself fighting a wish to step on gas and speed out of there. There was no logical reason for her to be so jumpy but the uneasiness that grew inside of her didn't leave.

The highway was empty for the most part, except for rare on-coming vehicles and Jenna relaxed eventually. She even started to hum some tune under her breath tapping her fingers on the steering wheel. The storm kept growing stronger, she saw a lightning or two piercing low purple sky at the horizon but inside the car she was warm and comfortable. She checked the radio again a couple of times but it was still off, which didn't really matter since she had already made a greater part of her journey.

The more surprised she was when the headlights of the car that appeared behind hers out of nowhere hit the rearview mirror and blinded her for a moment.

She straightened up in her seat and grabbed the steering wheel with both her hands, anxious. Where did this thing come from? The road was totally empty just a few minutes ago.

Taking slow deep breaths to calm down her crazy heartbeat, Jenna slowed down hoping the car would just speed up and leave her behind. But it didn't. Instead, it slowed down too, keeping the same distance between them as before so that the light of its headlights remained on Jenna's rearview mirror.

"Damn," she muttered through clenched teeth. Like some psycho who decided to play a sick game with her was exactly what she needed most right now!

She still was about half an hour away from Mystic Falls and being blinded like that, she couldn't see the road at all risking to drive into the nearest ditch, would she notice it too late.

"Come on," she breathed out hurrying whoever drove the car behind her, more annoyed than worried yet. The highway remained empty and nothing kept the driver from speeding up and circling her car around. There was no reasonable need to follow her like that.

It seemed to last forever. Jenna's eyes started to hurt and her concentration began to slip away. The highway narrowed and became more winding as it went between low slanting hills. Her fingers flexed on the steering wheel and it was only then that she noticed that the streetlamps along the highway were out, too, which was strange and more than a little unnerving. It meant she could only rely on the headlights to navigate her way but now she couldn't see anything at all. And this was probably right about time to start panicking.

"Okay, let's do it your way," she murmured then and stepped on the gas ignoring her hands that's started to shake, both from the tension and the fear. It was almost suicidal now that the road started to curve to the right and to the left but he needed to do something to start seeing, and loosing her follower behind one of the curves was all she could think out when she couldn't quite think straight at all. She had no choice but to take that risk.

The arrow on the speedometer crawled slowly to the right nearing the mark of 60 ml/hr. Her car all but jumped when one of the front wheels ran over the pot-hole in the asphalt and Jenna clutched the steering wheel so tight that her knuckles turned white, her heart plummeting down to the pit of her stomach.

"Oh god," she whispered horrified when the front passenger-side wheel grazed against the roadside gravel as the car swerved a little. She was too late to notice the bend.

Jenna did manage to get back to the highway being oh-so-close to having a heart attack. But the worst thing was that the trick didn't work – the following car increased it speed keeping the distance between the two of them unchanged.

"Crap," Jenna's arms and back started to ache from the tension and a cold hand of fear clutched her insides, her mind racing from misunderstanding to panic to utter, consuming horror. It didn't look like a stupid joke or a mere coincidence anymore.

The idea of throwing the car to the shoulder of the road was tempting, if only to see what would happen in that case – would the other car stop, too? Would it pass by? Who the hell was driving it anyway? – but something didn't let her actually do it. A feeling of danger that she couldn't explain and that had nothing to do with the fact that there could be someone crazy following her. It was a need to escape that formed and grew in her until she couldn't think of anything else but an overwhelming desire to run away.

Jenna all but jumped in her seat, nearly losing control of the car when her phone started to ring. She threw a quick half-hopeful, half-helpless glance at the passenger's seat. There was no way to get it out of her bag without letting go of the steering wheel, and there was no was she could do that, too. Not on the road like this. The ringing stopped for a moment and then started again a few seconds later.

_Oh, God, help me…_

Eyes darting between her bag and the wind-shield, Jenna took a few deep breaths. Locked her eyes on those ten feet of the road that she could see – _barely_ – and carefully reached blindly for her bag. If only she could get the phone… if only she could…

But just when her fingers brushed against the soft leather, the car behind her started to close in, shifting to the left, its engine roaring louder now.

Jenna could hardly believe it was finally happening. It looked like whoever was after her had finally made up his mind to leave her alone. She let the car slow down again expecting the other one to pass by… but right when her phone started the third go-around, the big black crossover – that was as much as she managed to glimpse – did what she expected least of all. It swerved her way closing the distance between them with terrifying speed and unmistakable intentions.

Caught by surprise, Jenna twisted the steering wheel instinctively, hesitating for the barest of moments, not sure if she should speed up or keep slowing down. But that was exactly when the road made a sharp turn to the left and Jenna realized what was happened when it was too late.

Her SUV drove off the highway. She hit the brakes but the speed was too high. The wheels slid along the wet grass as the car started to turn sideways. She couldn't understand where she was or where she was going, the vision she so craved for for the last ten minutes only made the things a lot more scary.

Everything was happening like in a slow motion replay. Her seize on the steering wheel was dead-tight but she was hardly in any control of the car that kept moving forward into the darkness. It was horrifying and yet fascinating to see everything around so clearly that she could practically make out every single leaf on the bushes that were flying past her. At some point it even started to seem that the car itself remained perfectly still and motionless whereas everything else kept jumping at it. And all she could do was just watch it happening and wait.

Finally, the car began to slow down. Relieved, Jenna let out a breath she didn't even notice she was holding for God knows how long. Could this really be the end of this nightmare?

But then… she didn't see it. The tree that seemed to appear out of nowhere, and when she saw it at lest, there was no way for her to stop in time, the speed was still too high and the slope was too slick. Paralyzed, Jenna watched it approach, its branched hanging low and barely above the car's roof. She heard the sound then that was exactly like the one that empty tin can made when being squeezed in the hands, only a million times louder. It seemed to fill everything around her. God, it seemed to fill her entire head….

And then everything turned black.

**To be continued…

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Reviews and comments are always apprecited :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note:** It's been a while, I know. Sorry for the delay! But here we are again. This one is long. Many words, you're warned ;)

And… I remember I promised adult content somewhere in the beginning. You will find it here if you search real hard. Nothing too graphic as (1) I'm not good at writing this kind of stuff and (2) I cannot exactly hide it under spoiler cut here for younger audience, so – it's the second warning lol

Also… someone wanted some Anna. Here she is ;)

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Soft knock on the door stopped Elena in her tracks when she was heading from the kitchen to her room with a cup of tea in her hand. Puzzled, she put the cup on the table near the door and reached for the knob, half-hoping it was Stefan. She could really use some company now, she thought ruefully. Upstairs, Jeremy was listening to the music in his room, the drums making china set in the cupboard downstairs clink. He still wasn't talking to her, and she felt helpless not knowing how to fix it. Not that she could blame him, she thought sourly, but it hurt to know that he couldn't understand that she was only trying to protect him.

It wasn't Stefan though.

It was Damon who stood on the porch with a somewhat thoughtful and surprisingly serious expression on his face, a wall of rain falling from the sky behind his back. The water-drops were glittering in his hair and rolling down his leather jacket dripping to the wood floor beneath his feet.

"Damon?" Elena frowned.

"I hope you don't mind," he squeezed past her into the house. His eyes darted towards the second floor landing for a moment but then returned to Elena. "Stefan here?"

She eyed him suspiciously. "No, he is… he was going to stop by later." There was some uneasiness about him that bothered her a lot and she didn't like it because it never meant anything good.

"Hunting the bunnies?" He snickered making his way into the living room where he flopped down onto the couch. "Feel free to spare me the details."

"Damon," she started, her voice warning.

"Whatever," he rolled his eyes. "I wanted to talk to you while dear Uncle John is playing with the Council, meaning – too busy to eavesdrop." He patted on the seat beside him.

On a sigh, Elena lowered herself down, one leg tucked beneath her. "You make it sound so sinister."

"Just telling the truth," he shrugged. "He is out there making plans about hunting the vampires knowing where he can find at least two. Or should I say three, your mother assumed?"

Mentioning Isobel was a mistake, and even Damon realized it when awkward silence fell between them. Everything inside of Elena tied into a tight knot. She and Damon never talked about when Isobel said the last time they met but the question seemed to always hang in the air as they danced gracefully around it.

"Isn't it exactly what you're doing, too?" She asked at last bringing them back on track.

"For me it's a matter of self-preservation," Damon explained willingly not at all taken aback. "I would like to know if they plan to come for me with stakes and torches in advance." He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"Yeah," Elena shook her head on a small smile and then locked her eyes on his. "What are you doing here, Damon?"

"I came to ask for some milk and cookies," he confided in a low voice. "Since you don't have blood and chips." She rolled her eyes. "And also, I wanted to ask you for a favor."

"A favor?"

"Can I please borrow that magical vampire compass of yours?"

To say that the request surprised her was to say nothing. Elena studied his face searching for… something. And she didn't like what she saw behind the witty façade and cockiness. He looked troubled and concerned, and the line between his brows seemed to be deeper than she remembered. There was some nervousness about him and his mind seemed to be somewhere else too, which was so Damon-unlike that she couldn't help but feel worried about it, too.

"What's going on?" She asked carefully, all alert by the moment.

"Didn't Stefan tell you?" It was Damon's turn to all but gasp in bewilderment.

"Not really. He… he mentioned something… vague." She clearly fought to recall the conversation. "About some… possible danger."

"Sounds like my brother," Damon scoffed. "_Possible_," he mimicked with a funny face. "Yeah, something like that." He sighed when he saw her confused expression. "Why do you think John practically lives in the Founders Council Hall lately?"

"Is there a specific reason? It's not like we have heart-to-heart conversations," she replied honestly. "I simply marvel in the fact of his absence."

"Nice. But… looks like we've got company and, like it or not, but there are limited ways to detect it. That's why I need you compass."

Elena frowned. "But you can't use it, can you? It'll keep pointing at you. I could…"

"Oh, don't worry about that," Damon interrupted her. "I've got a school history teacher to do dirty work for me." He watched her expectedly for about half a minute waiting for the information to sink in. "So, can I take it for a while? I'll bring it back, scout's honor!"

Now, _that_ made her laugh in earnest. "_Scout's honor_, Damon? Really? Do you even know what it is?"

He nudged her playfully. "Come on! Don't be so mean! Will you give me your little toy?" He batted eyelashes pleadingly at her.

"Yeah, sure." Elena rubbed at her face, her voice losing its easiness. "Things can hardly get any worse anyway." She got up.

"What's wrong?" He followed her suit.

"Oh, where to start?" She barked out a short bitter laugh spinning at the base of the staircase… and ending up face to face with Damon. "My brother hates me. My birth mother is a homicidal vampire. My Uncle can expose my vampire boyfriend to the entire world any moment should he see any potential benefit for himself in it." She paused to take a breath. "And also, there's this parade which drives me nuts. Your news arrived just in time, Damon. So, take your pick!"

They were standing so close that her body was practically touching his… and she couldn't be bothered less, Elena thought absently. Weird how the tables could turn. Of all people – and vampires – in the world, right now Damon was the only one she knew she wanted to talk to.

"Personally, I'd cross the Founder's Day out of the list," he said after a short consideration.

"You're unbelievable," she shook her head.

He watched her for a long moment, his gaze traveling around her face making her feel a little edgy but for some reason not at all uncomfortable. And when he spoke again, he voice was soft, even somewhat soothing. "You take it all too seriously, Elena, don't you think?"

Her own voice dropped, mimicking his, "Someone has to."

A knock on the door broke the moment giving them both a start and they whipped their heads to it simultaneously.

"It must be Stefan," Elena breathed out, missing Damon's grimace entirely.

He hemmed as he followed her to the door staying practically on her heels. Elena gave him a frustrated glare over her shoulder but he chose to ignore her. It wasn't Stefan and he knew it – if only because his brother's heart hadn't been beating for the last 145 years – so he preferred to stick close in case the company turned out to be unwanted.

She swung the door open. "Mr. Saltzman?"

"Hi, Elena," Ric started on a small tired smile. His hair and jacket were wet from the run from his car to the porch. "Is-?" And it was then that his glance shifted past her shoulder and Alaric saw that she wasn't alone. His smile faded and eyes darted from Damon's face to Elena's and back to the vampire's again. "Damon."

"Hey, Ric," he wiggled his fingers at Alaric, lips stretched into s smirk. "We're just… hanging out here." Damon added on a shrug even though no one asked him anything.

Alaric's brows quirked up slightly but he did not acknowledge Damon's words in any way. Instead, he turned back to Elena.

"Come in," Elena stepped aside.

"Is Jenna home?" He asked walking in and looked helplessly at the phone clutched in his hand. "I tried to call her but her phone goes straight to the voice-mail, so I thought…" He trailed off and cleared his throat.

"She… she should be here any moment," Elena replied in a light welcoming voice. She locked the door behind him. "Why don't you-?" and cut off when the situation kicked in and her eyes shifted to the clock on the wall.

It didn't go past Alaric. "What?"

"She…" Elena looked at Damon and then at Ric again. "She should have been back already."

_Just calm down_, she told herself. _Think_.

"Elena, where is Jenna?" Ric asked in what he probably thought was a steady voice, but she knew better than that. She heard the same panic in it that was coursing through her own veins.

She ran her fingers through her hair feeling the eyes of both Damon and Alaric on her. Her insides twisted uncomfortably making her feel physically sick. She took a deep breath but it didn't help.

"She went to the university library in the morning to work on her paper, said she'd be home by dinner." Replaying the facts in her head was comforting and surprisingly, her voice didn't give in. "I talked to her about… two hours ago, maybe. She was just leaving the campus." Not waiting for any of them to say a word, Elena fetched her own mobile from the back pocket of her jeans and hit the dial button as soon as she found Jenna's number on the quick dial list. Listened patiently to the rings on the other end and then swallowed hard. "Voice mail." _Okay, don't panic_. She marched to the staircase. "Jeremy!" She shouted and waited for a moment. "Jer!"

The door on the second floor opened letting the blasting sounds of music out and Jeremy bent over the railing. "What?"

"Did Jenna call you?"

"No." He gave her a weird look as if not sure she was in her right mind. Blinked in surprise at Alaric and Damon in turns then. "Why? What happened?"

"Nothing," she attempted to muster a weak smile and failed miserably.

His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Is everything okay?" Jeremy asked addressing Alaric this time.

"Yeah, just… checking," Ric reassured him with fake lightness and none of them said a word until they heard the door close again cutting them from the sounds of electric guitar.

Elena bit her lower lip, her mobile pressed to her ear again. "Maybe something's wrong with the phone," she said grasping at straws. "The rain…" she froze at the sight of their sullen faces. "You don't… Please tell me you don't think she's-" No, she definitely wasn't able to finish the phrase. _No, please. It couldn't be the true. It could be happening._ Her head was spinning. Yeah, Damon couldn't have found a worse time to drop that bomb on her.

Alaric and Damon exchanged a look, as if having a silent conversation. None of them said a word but the expression of their faces spoke volumes.

"Oh God…" Elena whispered covering her mouth with her hand. _Oh God, please no_. Automatically, she kept dialing Jenna's number over and over again disconnecting upon the voice-mail greeting message.

"It's going to be fine," Ric's voice broke through the kaleidoscope of her chaotic thoughts and she felt his hands on her shoulders, his face right before her. "Look at me, Elena. Where did she go?"

"To the library," she repeated.

"Where is it?" She told him. "Okay, stay here, and try to calm down. Like you said, it must be the storm. She's going to be fine, you hear me? She's going to be fine." Elena knew he was telling it more to himself than to her. And he had no idea how unconvincing he was in his false optimism.

She nodded reluctantly. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going there."

"Don't be ridiculous," Damon stepped forward.

"You better stay here, too."

Damon scowled, obviously not being used to taking the orders from anyone, let alone _humans_. "And you're going to do what, exactly? Play a hero with that collection of stakes and knives of yours? We don't even know-"

"Wait!" Elena's sharp request cut them off and made them turn her way. "Jenna?" She could barely hear anything, the static on the line was horrible but it wasn't a mistake – someone out there had just picked up the phone. "Jenna, can you hear me? What happened? Are you okay?"

Alaric was by her side within a blink of an eye. "Elena, give me the phone," he whispered and reached out for it, and hearing his strained voice she obliged without a word. "Jenna?" His expression was almost unbelieving. "Where are you?"

* * *

Why was the chirping so damn loud and annoying? It seemed to be practically drilling right through her skull and into her brain making Jenna wish she could just cover her head with something and die. And she was cold, too. So cold that she felt like she was wrapped in a cocoon made of ice.

She moaned quietly as reality started to slowly come back to her. Why was she so cold… and wet?

Jenna forced her eyes open, gasping for breath. Her head was lying on her arm that rested on the steering wheel. Cautiously, she lifted it up blinking as her eyes adjusted to the darkness all around her. The windshield before her was a cobweb of cracks, some fragments of it missing and lying on the dashboard, and the passenger's seat, and the floor. Through them the rain was dripping inside soaking her hair and jacket and bringing chill and ozone freshness to the air. The thunder that scattered across the sky made Jenna all but jump in her seat. Her body responded to the move with dull pain. Her head pounded like hell as if promising to blow up any moment. God, even breathing seemed to be making it worse.

Carefully, she straightened up taking small shallow breaths and trying to avoid any jerking moves. There was still hope that no bones were broken.

The chirping that annoyed her so much when she wasn't even conscious yet started again and it took Jenna a moment to realize that it was her mobile ringing in her bag. She never got to take it out.

With the fingers that didn't seem to belong to her at all, Jenna unbuckled her seat belt and reached for her bag, brushed the shattered glass off of it cursing when she scraped her skin on one of the sharp fragments. Her hands trembled when she fought with the zipper. Blindly, she groped for her phone in the depths of the bag. Grabbed it once, but it slipped out of her grip.

"Damn it," she muttered and finally managed to get hold of it. "Yes," she breathed out into the receiver, her voice sounding hoarse and strange even to her own ears.

"_Jenna?_" Elena's voice pierced through her brain, and she winced expecting it to explode any second. She pressed the heel of her palm into her forehead and squeezed her eyes tight for a moment. "_Jenna, can you hear me?_ _What happened? Are you okay?_"

_Hardly._

"I…" she began but was interrupted by the noise on Elena's end of the line.

"_Jenna?_" _Ric_. Involuntarily, she let out a sigh of relief at the sound of his voice feeling a little better by the second. "_Where are you?_"

The thoughts were still struggling through the fog in her head, but his question made the events of the night rush into her mind like a flow of water that broke through the dam and was now on the loose, uncontrolled and erratic. Her blood ran cold in her veins when she saw the bright light of the headlights in the rearview mirror before her mind's eyes.

Jenna whipped her head around – which was a very, very bad idea. The whole world seemed to explode before her blinding and deafening her with pain and she clenched her teeth not to moan.

"_Jenna?_" Somehow, his voice made its way through this carousel of madness into her mind. Apparently, he had said something that she missed completely.

"I'm here," she responded now that the bright stars before her eyes started to fade and her senses began to get back to normal except for the dull headache that settled behind her eyes. "My car—" _is a wreck_.

"_Where are you?_"

_Good question! _

She tried to focus. "North-west highway, about 20 miles outside Mystic Falls," _give or take a mile or two_. And that was as much as she could tell.

"_Oh… all right_," he paused, probably considering her words. "_I'll be right there. Just… don't go anywhere, okay?_"

_No__t a problem at all! _

"Okay."

He hung up then and Jenna simply started at the phone in her hand listening to the silence.

And then suddenly the car seemed to shrink in size and become too small for her to stay in. Feeling like she was going to suffocate of she didn't get out, Jenna groped for the handle, her fingers scraping in panic on the inside of the door. Everything about her concentrated on breaking free as fast as she only could. It turned to be an almost impossible task though. The car was inclined forward and to the right, its left back wheel probably hanging in the air judging from the angle of the seats, and the door seemed to weigh a ton. Jenna pushed at it with her whole body and all but fell out when it finally gave in with a grating creak.

A wave of cold air and the rain that it threw in her face nearly pushed her back inside but she climbed out and into the downpour taking short convulsive breaths. She leaned against the back door and closed her eyes feeling dizzy and nauseous and not quite stable on her feet, the adrenaline rush in her blood was making the world spin around her. The rain was so hard that she drenched to the skin within moments but truth be told, Jenna couldn't care less. Her heart was pounding so hard in her chest that she feared it could break through her rib-cage any moment as she gasped for air. She could hardly see or hear anything behind this waterfall of a rain around her but so far beside the water-drops hitting the ground, and the grass, and what was left of her car there was nothing. And still… she couldn't help but wonder if whoever was after her was still hiding somewhere out there.

She forced the thought away and willed herself to focus on here and now. Eventually, the first shock let go of her and she noticed that she was practically freezing in the wind that kept cutting through her like a knife with each gust, throwing ice-cold needles of rain in her face. Her fingers were numb and her teeth started to chatter unevenly. But her breathing slowed down and the reality became more or less bearable again, which probably was good news.

Alaric did come fast, or so it seemed to her. Not that she was tracking the time, Jenna thought absently. She was standing at the roadside with her arms wrapped around her shoulders as if trying to hold together whatever was left of her when the headlights of his car pierced through the darkness of the night. He must have seen her in the light because the car skidded to a halt, its tires squealing on the asphalt, and he hopped out before it even came to a full stop nearly tripping in a hurry, the door left open behind him.

"Jenna," he was beside her in a moment, his hair wet and flat against his head, his expression incredulous, relived and unbelieving at the same time, or so she saw through the rain that blurred her vision. His eyes darted all over her body, obviously looking for visible injured, and then his palm cupped her cheek when he found none.

"How many traffic laws did you break on the way here?" She asked in a shaking voice as her hand went up to cover his, the skin of his palm felt almost burning hot on her cheek. Now that Alaric was there and the whole situation wasn't as nightmarish as several minutes ago, she simply wasn't able to hold back the comment. Sarcasm felt comforting. Maybe she wasn't that bad after all.

His mouth curled into a small smile that probably mimicked the one that she had. "You're incredible," he shook his head as Jenna watched the crease between his brows smooth down at her words, the line of his shoulders relaxed visibly. His eyes traveled around her face once again. "Are you okay?"

"Yes."

"You're not hurt?"

"No."

"Thank God." He looked up and down the highway then, his other hand flexed on her arm. "Come on, let's get out of here." Ric pulled her to the car.

"No, wait," Jenna threw a quick look over her shoulder.

"What?"

"My car… I need to get my stuff from the car."

As much as she didn't want to go there, leaving her bag, with the wallet, and the house keys, and some other stuff, wasn't such a good idea whatsoever.

"Sure," Ric followed her off the road. The grass was slick beneath their feet. He caught Jenna by the hand when she slipped and nearly tripped over something and squeezed it tight. "Wow," he whistled in astonishment when they finally reached the spot a minute later. "How did it happen?"

"It's a… long story," she replied evasively.

Ric didn't say anything to this. He only hemmed, let go of her hand and circled the car to study what was left of the hood, not that there was much to look at. She already had a pleasure to observe the disaster and knew it wasn't pretty.

"That's a nice piece of work," he commented after a while.

"I am not sure my insurance company will use a word _nice_ to describe it, but hey, I will give them an idea."

Jenna made her way to the front passenger's door. Her fingers slipped several times off the handle before she finally managed to grab it. The door fell open heavily and she held onto it not to be knocked down to the ground.

Most of her books fell to the floor when the car hit the tree and although they were all sprinkled with the glass now, it saved them from the rain for the most part. She shook the glass off trying not to add other cuts to those that she already had. Put her phone into the pocket of her jeans then, grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder.

"Here, let me," Ric appeared at her side and took the books from her. "Is that it?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "Um, wait a moment."

Jenna dove inside again and reached for the car keys that still were in the ignition. She climbed out, pushed the door close and locked it. Not that it made much sense since the windshield could be practically blown away with the wind, damaged as it was.

* * *

Once inside Ric's car, Jenna pulled off her jacket that resisted persistently clinging to the long sleeves of her soaked through shirt and threw it to the floor behind her seat. She'd deal with it later. When she would feel a little more alive than now perhaps. It didn't help much of course. When the cool air went through her wet clothes and touched her skin she only started to shiver from head to toe.

Alaric started the car and turned on the heater. Following Jenna's example, he shrugged out of his jacket then and tossed it into the backseat.

He stole a worried glance at her as she was struggling with the seatbelt, her lean fingers pulling it from the holder and adjusting it on her chest. He buckled up, revved backwards to make more room for the maneuver and then U-turned and sped for Mystic Falls.

They drove in silence for a while with Jenna staring out the window and Ric throwing quick looks in her direction every now and then still caught up between the fear that swallowed him at the thought that something could have happened to her when he arrived at the Gilberts' house and the relief that took over it when he saw her in one piece, standing in the rain. She seemed to be fine, except for some scratches that he managed to make out, given the fact that he could hardly see anything at all.

His thoughts drifted back to when he saw her in the morning when she dropped Elena off at school. He was checking his notes before the class and arranging them in his mind when something nudged him to look up and out the window. The dark-blue car was parked right across the lawn in front of the history classroom, and Elena got out of it and slammed the door shut on a small farewell wave. And for the first time in a very long while Alaric felt something warm inside of him, something long forgotten that gave his heart a leap and made his lips stretch into a smile without any apparent reason. The feeling that he never thought would be back.

With all the events of the past few days, and the killings, and possible new vampire in town, and the whirlpool of memories that sucked him in at Isobel's return and made him go through the past over and over and over again to try and understand where the things had gone wrong, he had no physical or emotional strength left to even remember about the present, which surprisingly didn't consist of sorrow and pain and emptiness anymore. Well, not completely at least.

Through the half open window he saw Jenna wave at Elena and then he thought that she hesitated for a moment to look at his windows. It was too far. He couldn't be sure, and of course she couldn't see him. But he suddenly caught himself wishing that she did. In fact, he wanted her to get out of the car, and walk into his class, and say Hi, and just make his day a little better. But instead she rolled up the windows and drove away, and all he could do was follow her car with his gaze until it was out of his sight with the feeling that something good was slipping though his fingers and he was doing a very lousy job to keep it… And that he'd be such an idiot if he didn't do something about it…

Alaric stole another glance at Jenna. Her brows were furrowed thoughtfully and she was biting at her lower lip every now and then – something he noticed she was doing when she was nervous. Her eyes were locked on the windshield but it didn't look like she would notice a herd of elephants crossing the highway had it ever happened.

"You can start telling me what happened to you," Ric was the first to break the silence.

Jenna didn't reply right away. In fact, she stayed silent for so long that at some point he started to think that she didn't hear him, too lost in her thoughts.

"Someone pushed me off the road," she said when he was about to ask her again, and her voice implied that she couldn't quite believe her own words.

"What?" He whipped his head around not sure that he understood her right. "But… Who was it?"

"I don't know, Ric. He didn't bother to stop and introduce himself."

"Are you… sure that it was what had happened?"

"Yeah." Their eyes met for a moment, and she looked just as confused as he felt. "I'm not an expert but I guess it's hard to push someone off the road and not notice it."

"We should have called the police," he said, the uneasiness in the pit of his stomach that he hoped had finally gone was back and kept growing stronger by the moment. His gaze shifted to the rearview mirror.

"And tell what? I hadn't seen anything, except that the car was big and… and that's pretty much it." She turned away again. Something in this situation bothered her so much, but Jenna couldn't quite put her finger on what it was and was uncertain if she should try and figure it out or just let go and write it off to "_I nearly got killed_" stress. No need to be paranoid, she told herself. Except that she actually nearly got killed.

Alaric slowed down the car when they passed the _Welcome to Mystic Falls_ sign to the town speed limit. The relief that he felt for such an _oh-so-short_ time was gone without a trace. Instead of it the feeling that something was wrong came. Something he couldn't see yet, but it was there, and he knew it – and he hated it.

"Do you want me to take you home?" He asked Jenna when it suddenly occurred to him that he had no idea where she wanted to be right now.

She looked at him again, her blue eyes uncertain and still bearing the remains of shock and disbelief.

"No," she said after a short hesitation.

He watched her for another moment, not really surprised, and then nodded curtly taking the right turn on the crossroads instead of the left one.

* * *

There was light in only one window of the small house that stood lost in the woods practically in the middle of nowhere when Damon pulled his car over at the side of the gravel driveway. He walked up the steps and across the porch leaving wet tracks after him, his footfalls dull and echoing in the trees around him, somewhat muted by the rain.

He knocked impatiently on the door, waited for a moment and then knocked again wondering how bad it would be for a friendly visit if he simply forced his way in in that charming manner of his. It was infuriating and annoying not to have any idea of what was going on in Mystic Falls, and he didn't do infuriating and annoying, mostly because tearing throats out was more his idea of fun, especially as long as it had something to do with Elena.

The thought made him cringe inwardly and scowl at himself. It has nothing to do with her, he reminded himself, and besides, it was her boyfriend's duty to be obsessively overprotective about her, not his.

And yet, there he was…

The door creaked open and Damon pushed his way in without so much as Hello before the dark-haired girl on the other side of it had time to react and probably try to slam it in his face. Not that it would be a big deal, but he still preferred to stick to as little trouble as possible now that they were sort of friends and neighbors, or whatever.

"Hello, Anna," he drawled once inside the dimly lit hall that looked exactly like the last time he'd been there, minus blood and dead vampires on the floor of course.

Once again the expression "dead vampires" caught and amused him. Weren't they all dead by definition?

"Damon," she acknowledged with a sigh. Looked out the door to make sure he came alone and then locked it behind him. "What do you want?"

"_What do you want?_" He repeated almost horrified. "Where are your manners, for God's sake? Aren't you going to offer me a cup of tea? Or a glass of blood?" He cocked his head. "What would your mother say?" He paused and looked around taking in the silence of the house. The light that he saw from the outside was coming from the kitchen. "Speaking of… Is she at home?"

"My mother is dead, thank you." She fought to keep it cool but her voice cracked a little and she hurried to purse her hips right, her eyes glaring daggers at him.

Damon froze, stuck. Pearl was dead? "I… I didn't know."

"Whatever," her expression was blank now like she really didn't care about what he said or thought. "The question remains – what do you want?"

"How many of you are living here?" He asked pushing down the pity that he – surprisingly – felt. Now that he knew it, he noticed that Anna looked totally crashed, her eyes empty and pained.

"In this house?" She specified. "Just me now. It was me and mom before… And you know it."

"Actually, I don't," he disagreed. "You sure?"

"No," she rolled her eyes. "There's always a chance that someone is sneaking around the house without me noticing."

"Well, the problem is – you can be right," he grimaced.

"Why so interested anyway?" Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"I believe you have already heard about the vampire on the killing spree in town," it was a statement, and he said it matter-of-factly too, but his eyebrows quirked up in silent question.

"What?" She frowned, obviously caught by surprise.

"Seriously? So I am what, a messenger this time?" He shook his head in disbelief.

"Seriously, Damon, what's going on?" She sounded really concerned and worried now.

He hesitated eyeing her thoughtfully, his gaze sharp and his lips puckered as he made a circle around the hall before Anna who stood with her back leaned against the door.

"You sure that the rest of your little uncontrolled family is gone?" He asked folding his arms across his chest.

"They are. What the hell if going on?"

Damon ignored her demand completely though. "Do you know if there is something new in town?" He asked instead.

Anna blinked. "New, like-?"

"Yeah, fangs and all _Arrr_," he imitated the throaty growl. "Saw anyone?"

"No! Are you saying there's a new vampire in town?"

"Actually, I hoped it was someone old, less suspense and drama this way." He snorted. "You really know nothing?"

"No," she ran her fingers through her hair. "What happened?"

"The usual. A killing here and there, missing people. I kind of hoped you'd know who it could be. Some friends of yours used to like to do that stuff."

She stepped aside when he walked up to the door, obviously intending to leave. "For what I know, they all left when you made your point clear by nearly exterminating them."

"It's not like I did it for fun," Damon's voice dropped to a cold and dangerous level.

"You made _that_ point clear, too," Anna reminded him looking up at him.

They glared at each other for a long while, the outburst of storm outside the house reflecting the tension, making the moment even more drastic and intense.

"What are you going to do now?" He asked surprising both himself and the girl.

She paused, her gaze dropped to the floor for a moment, then went up to his face again. "I don't know," she said honestly looking somewhat lost by the second. "I haven't thought of it yet."

He nodded after a short hesitation. "If you are going to stick around, do me a favor, keep your eyes open and give me a call if you run across something suspicious, okay?"

"The vampires from the tomb would never come back while the Salvatore brothers are in Mystic Falls, they are not stupid."

"Let's wait and see."

On that he went out and in a moment was swallowed up by the rain, his form disappearing in the darkness.

* * *

"Here we are." Alaric pushed the door open before Jenna and walked in after her reaching for the switch to turn on the lights in the hall. "Make yourself at home."

She followed him into the depths of his apartment looking around curiously. They ended up in the living room that was separated from the kitchen area by the counter with three tall wicker stools on the living-room side of it. She took in a couch and two armchairs on either side of it, a low coffee table and a TV set in the corner with some disks and magazines on the shelf under the TV itself, a bookshelf – all stuffed from top to bottom – and several boxes by the wall under the window. A few were still sealed and two stood open but not fully unpacked yet. There were no pictures on the walls or framed photos here and there. Nothing to define the personality of the owner – beside the books of course – but somehow the room still looked cozy.

Her gaze slid along the leather covers that looked old and worn and thus somehow valuable. The titles carved on the spines were unreadable from where she was standing, and her fingers itched to run down them if only to feel their age and texture. Alaric had a magnificent library, and that alone was telling a lot about him. Two pots with some plants on the windowsill made Jenna's lips curve into a small smile. They were probably left by the previous residents, she decided. For some reason she couldn't imagine Ric traveling around the country with the flower pots in the backseat, but it didn't matter. They were still making the place look a little more homey. Especially a place occupied by a single man who was probably spending more time outside of his apartment than inside of it.

The realization that Alaric had moved to Mystic Falls just a couple of months ago struck her. Weird, but it felt like he had always been there.

Jenna put her bag onto the coffee table near her books that Ric left there earlier and rubbed her shoulders with her hands in a vain attempt to get a little warmer.

Alaric came up to her from behind. "You okay?"

She turned around. "Yeah," which sounded almost like a joke, what with them both knowing that _okay_ was as far from being an accurate description of her state as possible.

"Um…You should probably change before you got pneumonia or something."

"That bad?" Jenna tried to scoff but it sounded pretty miserable, assuming her teeth were still chattering.

"Your lips are blue," he informed her smiling softly and shook his head, amusement twinkling in his eyes brought something boyish to his looks. "The bathroom is the second door to the left," Ric waved his hand toward the hall. "I'll find something dry for you."

"Thanks."

The reflection in the mirror above the sink was beyond horrible. On the scale from one to ten her bad looks could be rated as _fifteen_. There was a cut on her forehead right below the hairline, and it looked rather nasty. Strange that she didn't feel it before. Her shirt was covered with dirt and blood on the sleeves where the glass had cut through it and scratched her skin. Her hair was simply indescribable, period, hanging around her face in untidy strands. Jenna took in the whole picture not able to process the fact that she was looking at herself at first.

And beside that, she looked horrified, her entire expression shocked and her eyes big and frightened. Where the physical damage could easily be fixed, the emotional wreck seemed to be another thing entirely. She simply could not shake off the feeling that it wasn't over yet, and her being here, in Ric's apartment, safe and finally warm – it was just an illusion, something that could fall to pieces any moment to reveal the true reality that she wasn't sure she wanted to see. And being paranoid wasn't exactly her thing but it was something she couldn't help or run away from. All she could do was wait…

Inside the shower cubicle, Jenna turned on the hot water and then simply stood there until it started to hurt, her scratches and cuts burning like hell but she couldn't care less. She held her breath and let the water flow down her body as if it could wash off the events of the night just as easily. The whole bathroom filled with steam but she was still shaking from cold that was coming from the inside. With the adrenaline still running through her system, her knees were shaking as if ready to give in any moment, all her senses strangely sharp and somewhat magnified.

She could have died, Jenna thought numbly. She could have died and it was a matter of a pure and almost unbelievable luck that she didn't. Her heart constricted at the realization and her chest tightened. She swallowed hard fighting to shake off the belated panic, closed her eyes and lifted her face up to the water.

Jenna turned it off only when she thought that she was getting sick from the heat. She slid the door open and stepped out, her body less of a piece of ice and more of a mass of melted wax. She brushed her hand against the misted mirror and stared at herself. Her skin was flushed, and she could finally feel her limbs again, and it didn't look like her heart was going to jump out of her chest anymore. Now that was good news, wasn't it?

Her mind was blank and the whole accident started to look oddly unreal. Like a bad dream. Only the one that was burned into her memory forever with the exception that it was hard to make difference between what had actually happened and what her imagination and fear added to the picture. She could be distracted but she couldn't forget.

She slipped on the t-shirt that Ric gave her and was washed over by the smell of the winter-fresh fabric softener, and his after-shave lotion. The scent that probably all of his clothes bore, Jenna thought absently feeling a little dizzy and seriously overwhelmed by the rush of feelings that swept over her. It was probably a bit too much for one night.

Outside, she found Ric in the kitchen rummaging through the cupboard under the cooking counter. He must have heard her footsteps as his head snapped up at her approach. Over the time that she was in the shower he had changed, too. Now he was wearing light-blue faded jeans and a tight short-sleeved t-shirt that revealed a tattoo on his underarm that she had no idea he had. An intertwining of lines and symbols… It looked fascinating, until she realized that she was gawking at it and jerked her gaze up.

Alaric couldn't hold back the smile when he saw her. In the oversized t-shirt that went down past her hips and his jogging shorts that were almost knew-long she looked small and fragile. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were glinting again, as opposed to what he saw half an hour ago. The iron grip that held him tight finally let go.

"Feeling better?" He asked getting up to his feet and closing the cupboard door shut.

"More human, that's for sure," Jenna smiled back and ran her fingers through her wet hair that hung loose down her shoulders.

"Elena called," Ric's eyes darted towards her mobile that was lying on top of the counter. "Hope it's okay that I picked up."

"Sure. Um… Can I use you phone?"

"Of course." He nodded towards the living-room. "It's near the couch."

Elena picked up after the first ring. "_Hello?_"

"Elena-"

"_Jenna, what happened?_" Her voice was ringing with worry and relief, and Jenna couldn't make out which one was dominating. "_Are you okay?_"

"I'm…" She paused for a moment, took a deep breath and willed herself to sound casual. "I got in a small car accident."

"_A_ s_mall… what? Oh God…_"

"It's okay, really. I-I lost control of the car." _Yeah, right, let's freak everyone out_. She pinched the bridge of her nose. "The road was slippery. You know, this rain…" She hoped her voice was light and steady enough not to give away her inner turmoil.

"_But you're alright?_" Elena pressed on.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm… I'm at Ric's." She threw a quick glance over her shoulder. "He'll drive me home a bit later."

"_But… you really are not hurt?_"

Jenna smiled to herself touched by the concern in Elena's voice. "Shaken but not damaged. I promise. Don't wait up and don't worry. It's nothing." And then, "Is Jeremy okay?"

"_Yeah, we're both fine. He stays holed up in his room, probably hiding from Uncle John._"

"I can see why," Jenna snorted, and then added in a softer voice. "Look, everything is fine, I swear. Don't stay up late. I'll be home soon."

Elena heaved a sigh. "_Okay_."

Jenna hung up then cringing inwardly. All the things she accused Elena of – she was doing them herself now, and how mature was that? Well, not that she lied, she told herself. Not really. She just spared the details that could wait for a little while. For one night definitely. Not that worrying Elena even more now would change anything, she'd tell her everything tomorrow anyway when they would both be less on edge than now. Pushing back the guilt, she returned to the kitchen and leaned against the counter, arms folded on her chest.

"Is everything all right?" Ric put a cup of tea beside her.

"Yeah." She inhaled a warm steam rising from it – chamomile and mint mixed with something sweet. "She sounded worried."

"Not without reason."

"I know. I hate to be the cause of that. She and Jeremy… instead of making it easier for them, I-" Jenna trailed off on a rueful chuckle.

Alaric hesitated. "No, it's not that," he said on a sigh.

"What do you mean?"

"There were several vampire attacks in town in the last couple of nights," he said slowly, eyes locking on hers. "I—We thought-" her face froze. "Thank God we were wrong." His voice dropped, his fear making its way out from deep inside of him again, and his gaze saying everything that he couldn't put into words.

Yeah, that was exactly what she needed to hear. On top of everything, another killing creature on the loose was making the whole picture look just perfect.

"Do you know who it could be?" Jenna forced out struck by his words.

"Not yet," he shook his head and leaned against the counter beside her so that their shoulders almost touched heaving an exasperated sigh. "Damon was going to try and track them down. But-" he cut off and shrugged, knowing that there was no need to finish the phrase for her to understand it.

Jenna took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly, fighting to keep the pieces of her world together, unable to wrap her mind around all of that just yet, the things kept piling up around her before she had time to process and accept them, and she thought that she was going crazy.

"Well, I guess it changes everything, right?" She let out a short laugh – more bitter and nervous than humorous, and then confided in a low voice answering the silent question he asked by quirking up an eyebrow, "My story had just lost all the drama."

Ric couldn't help but smile at that. "Yeah, you can say that." The silence fell between them for a while, until he broke it saying, "I think we should take care of these," and nodded towards the scratches on her right arm that went up from the wrist and almost to the elbow.

"Oh…" she dropped her gaze to study them. "It's nothing, Ric-"

"It's not."

He was gone before she could say anything else, only to be back a few moments later with what looked like a medical kit and a pack of cotton balls. He retrieved a bottle with a milky liquid that smelled like a body lotion and sprinkled a cotton ball with it. His palm was warm and a little rugged when he took her arm and lifted it up for a better view.

"Why won't you tell me now everything about what happened to you?"

"There's not so much to tell," Jenna rubbed at her forehead, doing her best to keep the emotions in the back of her mind and concentrate strictly on the facts. "It was a car, Grand Cherokee type, maybe a bit bigger. The color – anything from dark-red to black. No registration numbers. I mean, I didn't see them. He… or she, or they –mm, _the car_, it followed me for quite a while, speeding up and slowing down every time I did the same. It didn't look like a coincidence to me. But… honestly, come to think of it – someone decided to have some fun and then freaked out when the situation got out of control." That at least made some sense. "Because I don't know what else to think."

"You could have been killed," Alaric tried to keep his voice calm even though everything inside of him was boiling with anger. At the situation in general and him being helpless about it in particular.

"Yeah, I noticed that, Ric. But it could have been worse. I _could_ have been killed."

He lifted his head up and watched her for a short moment, his face concerned, and Jenna's stomach twisted – and this time it had nothing to do with the events of the night, or the vampires, or the car crash. On the moments like this she thought he could see right through her, and it made her nervous and excited and not quite herself by the second, which felt like losing control, and it was scary.

Alaric reached for another cotton ball then. "Now, this one."

He brushed the hair off of her forehead to reveal the cut. Her skin tingled where his fingertips touched it and Jenna shifted from foot to foot torn between the wish to run away and a desire to absorb in the warm feeling that spread all over her body.

"It can hurt a little," Ric warned her in a small apologetic voice.

"I have just got out of the car crash," she reminded him. "I think I can survive that."

It did hurt though. the burning feeling that made her wince involuntarily as her entire body tensed in protest and she fought an instinct to lean back and away from his touch. Instead, she forced herself to concentrate on something neutral, like taking one slow breath after another and counting in her mind.

"Sorry," Alaric said softly when he noticed it.

"It's okay," she let out in a whoosh of breath.

Her gaze shifter to his eyes, and suddenly Jenna became aware of how close he was standing to her. Very close in fact. Their bodies were practically touching and their faces were only inches apart. Her breath caught up in her throat and she swallowed hard fighting with all her will to focus on reality that kept slipping away. She was vaguely aware of his fingers that slid down her cheek leaving a burning trace that she thought would leave a physical mark on her skin. His eyes lingered on her lips and she suppressed an urge to lick them. Jenna could feel the strength and heat radiating from his body, and it was like standing on the edge, a moment away from falling into the abyss.

The sharp intake on his breath made her head spin and her heart suddenly became too big and heavy in her chest, every dull beat of it deafening her.

The tension was so thick around them that she thought she'd be able to touch it, and all she had to do was to stretch her arm out. She longed to gasp for air, her lungs burned and all in all she feared that she was going to suffocate, but she couldn't move and couldn't take her eyes off of him grasping at the moment, wishing to feel every ounce of it.

She didn't know who of them moved first, or maybe they both did, but the next thing Jenna knew was that he was kissing her, his lips tracing the outline of hers before he pressed his mouth fully to hers, and she was falling off the edge at last loosening her grip on reality and then letting it go.

His lips were soft, and he tasted like coffee, and rain, and need, and the combination made her lightheaded and weak, and his arms were the only thing that kept her together and in one piece.

The lights in the room blinked once and then went out plunging the whole place into the darkness.

"What happened?" Jenna whispered when he pulled back and looked around, her voice oddly dull and somehow foreign to her ears.

"It's the rain," Ric explained hoarsely. "The house is old and the wiring is crap. One day I'll get it fixed… maybe." He paused. "I've… I've got candles somewhere." His voice dropped by the end of the phrase and he didn't move looking down at her again instead, his fingers playing absently with her hair.

"Ric-" she started not quite sure what she was going to say but wanting to give them both a chance to back off before it was too late.

But he put his fingers on her lips silencing her. His thumb moved gently along her lower lip and then the line between the real world and a place where only the two of them existed started to fade until it was gone for good.

Alaric deepened the kiss and Jenna leaned willingly into him. Her eyelashes fluttered shut when his lips left her mouth and moved down her cheek and along her jaw-line and then down her neck as he showered her skin with light kisses wishing to taste every inch of it. A mix of thrill and sensation shot through him when he heard her soft gasp and felt Jenna's fingers catch the thin fabric of his t-shirt and clench onto it tight.

Another peal of thunder rolled across the skies outside making him pause in alarm when he felt—sensed… The lightning followed casting eerie silvery shades to everything around them. Ric pulled away a little and froze when he saw a circle of bite-marks on the nape her neck.

"What is it?" Jenna's whole body tensed when she felt him go rigid, finding it hard to concentrate on anything, her mind fogged and slow.

"Nothing."

He lifted his head up again and framed her face with his hands taking his time to just look at her memorizing every feature of her face. His gaze went to her blue eyes first, clouded and somewhat confused and then slid along the fine line of her eyebrows and down her porcelain skin to the full lips that were half-open, calling for him. With the anger at someone who had dared to touch her building inside of him, he had to make an effort to force the helpless fury down. He leaned in to kiss her again, with uncontrolled fierceness this time, as he wrapped his arms around her pressing her to his chest, torn between boiling desire and a desperate wish to just hold her tight and never let go.

Jenna tugged at the hem of his t-shirt and felt a shiver run down his body when her nails accidentally scratched the skin of his back. He unlocked his grip on her to let her pull his t-shirt off and toss it mindlessly to the floor. Slowly, her fingers traveled up his chest, and around his shoulders, and then ended up raking through his hair still wet from the rain as she pulled him back down to her, desperate in her need to touch him, feel him, to lose herself in him completely. It seemed to be the only thing that mattered, the only thing she knew would keep her alive.

The kiss was deep and slow this time, and Jenna just let go. Leaning into him, she let her mind drift allowing her body to response to the touch of his hands as it willed, her every essence dissolving in the moment. Ric pulled her t-shit off over her head and then gathered her in his arms again, his skin feeling so hot against hers that she thought she was going to melt right there and then turning into the pool of liquid desire on the cold tiled floor beneath her feet. Her fingers went down his stomach, and then around his waist trailing along the waistband of his jeans, the fingertips barely touching his skin as if teasing him and she bit his lower lip lightly when low growl formed in the back of his throat.

She buried her face in his chest when Ric bent down to press a gentle kiss to her curve of her neck and then her bare shoulder, feeling that his lips were curved into a smile as his breath tickled her skin arising goose-bumps on her flesh. She stiffened when his hand brushed against some bruise she didn't even know she had.

"Sorry," he murmured in a barely audible voice peppering his way back up her neck and to her lips with small kisses. Breathless, Ric rested his forehead against hers. "The candles are still an option."

"Not now," Jenna found his mouth with hers again, longing for more but never having enough.

…Ric lay awake for hours after Jenna fell asleep tugged against his body, listening to her soft deep breath and unable to find his own rest. The storm was over and the rain turned into a drizzle that rustled against the roof.

Everything was changing fast. The past was fading, the things he believed strongly in were proved false, the unbelievable became his reality. There were too many things he had to deal with, things that were new and scary and failing meant dying in most cases. His head was spinning from the enormous amount of information he had to learn to live with, with the only exception that he didn't exactly know how.

Jenna's bite-marks… he couldn't get them out of his head. Someone did it to her, and that alone was enough for him to want to hunt this creature down and make its death long and brutal. Someone did it to her but didn't kill her, which didn't make any sense to him. Why would they leave her alive? His fingers traced her arm that lay on his chest from shoulder to the wrist where her vervain bracelet felt cool against his skin.

Alaric let out a long breath.

"Ric?" Jenna whispered sleepily scooting even closer to him.

"Sh-h, sleep," he kissed the top of her head.

Somewhere along the way something clicked inside of him, and there was no turning back and no walking away. And it was probably the most shocking thing he had to deal with ever since he moved into the Mystic Falls. Somehow it turned out that he didn't have to look back to see something good anymore. It was right beside him, blissfully unaware of his thoughts – probably for the better. The grief he held onto for so long moved into the shadow, still remaining close but letting go of him at last. His black and white days – more black than white perhaps – plunged into routine that helped him survive started to get others colors to them.

And yet… there was so much to be solved and done and dealt with. His life was a mess and being involved with someone required more responsibility than that. And he felt guilty for giving in to the weakness and letting them go that far but the temptation was too strong to resist.

**To be continued…

* * *

**

Hopefully soon!

Thanks for reading! Comments and reviews are very welcome! Feel free to ignore typos ;)


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note: **First of all, thanks a lot for reading and reviewing the previous chapters, it means a lot to me :) Second, I am honestly trying to update as often as I only can :)

Dig in!

* * *

**Chapter 5 **

Jenna woke up the next morning to the strong smell of coffee and the sun beaming right in her face through the half-open curtains. Not fully awake yet, she groaned in protest and buried her face into the pillow, everything about her so not up to meeting a new day. She was too warm, and cozy, and overall comfortable to do it just yet. She stretched leisurely… and it was only when she heard the footsteps outside the room and muffled sounds of another human being's presence in close proximity that the memories of the previous night rushed back into her mind and she finally remembered where she was and how she got there.

She opened her eyes slowly blinking in the sun and observed Alaric's bedroom – something she didn't quite have time to do before. And the first thing her gaze stopped at was alarm clock that informed her almost tauntingly that it was barely past 6 am – hardly the time she liked to be awake at – making Jenna wish she could just squeeze her eyes shut again and go back to sleep, if only to keep the way she felt intact.

But curiosity won and she let her gaze move forward. The room wasn't big and the bed that she was curled in at the moment occupied the greater part of it. Next to it was a nightstand with the reading lamp and the said alarm clock, and then followed black leather couch. The desk with the computer on top of it ended up across from it right at the window that was probably slightly ajar, judging from the light sway of the curtains. A couple more boxed in the corner and the four-drawer dresser completed the picture. The door to the right from the one they came in through was probably a built-in closet, Jenna supposed.

Her glance travelled around once again, more attuned to the details this time. Surprised, she saw her jeans and some other pieces of her garment lying in a pile on the couch, dry by the looks of them. She couldn't help but smile at the sight of another stack of books on the table – there was no shortage of them in this place, that's for sure. Her eyes slipped past the PC monitor… to where the only photograph in Alaric's apartment stood, perfectly lit by the sun for Jenna to make no mistake in recognizing the woman on it.

The view was sobering, like a bucket of cold water poured on her when she least expected it. Her smile faded instantly and she suddenly felt very uncomfortable and out of place in this room, under the somewhat studying gaze of Isobel Fleming-Saltzman, Alaric's… well, she had a problem with defining the status of their relationship. The urge to get out of there overwhelmed Jenna and she sat up in a jerk of a movement and reached for her clothes, trying to keep her eyes anywhere but at the picture that seemed to be drawing her gaze like a magnet, as if to remind her of the real order of things.

_Right, Sommers, great job! Getting involved with the man who clearly still has feeling__s for his not so dead vampire ex-wife is exactly what you need right now_, she thought with mental wince cursing herself for being so damn stupid. "What were you thinking, again?" She muttered under her breath. _Yeah, nothing_, little evil voice inside of her head reminded her mischievously.

"Oh, crap," she let out in a whoosh of a breath when the next problem arrived. She threw her t-shirt away last night. Stashed it into the trash-bin without so much as a second thought because it obviously was way beyond fixable, what with it being shredded almost to spaghetti at the sleeves and all covered with dirt and blood, and ended up having nothing to put on now.

She bit her lower lip and looked around, considering. It took her a moment to make a decision. After a short hesitation she picked one of Alaric's button-up shirts that lay in a neat stack on top of the dresser, probably right after laundry, and pulled it on. It was too big in the shoulders and Jenna took her time to roll up the sleeves and tie the loose ends on the waist, and decided that it was much better than showing up at home in the morning wearing only her bra.

_Terrific, huh?_ Jenna thought huffing to herself.

She found a hairbrush lying on the nightstand and ran it through her hair several times fluffing it with her fingers. Not that there was anything else she could do. And then she paused at the desk not able to help it or out of masochism perhaps, and looked closely at Isobel's photograph, her fingers ran down the smooth wood frame. Hell, she couldn't even decide if she should be referring to the woman in the past or present tense, which was a little unnerving and more than a little confusing. Isobel was beautiful with those deep eyes and thick black hair that fell down her shoulders in heavy curls, and that was something that Jenna couldn't deny no matter how much she'd love to. No wonder Ric fell for her in the first place. Of course there must have been more to it than that but… but she imagined him standing right next to her and had to admit that they looked good together, and the image made her feel a little sick.

Jenna suppressed a sigh and turned away willing herself to ignore the pang in her heart at the thought. So much for being reasonable, ha! And she ended up in his bed all the same. _Some people never learn_.

She opened the door and paused in the doorway listening to the sounds of human activity in the other parts of the apartment, still feeling Isobel's heavy stare on her back. Couldn't help but throw another look back. Even though the woman on the photo was smiling, and looking quite happy overall, her gaze sill seeming to be piercing right through Jenna.

_You're being ridiculous now_, she told herself mildly frustrated and took a deep breath. _Keep the face and don't screw up, you'll have time to wallow later_.

Outside, Jenna stopped in the entrance to the kitchen, arms folded across her chest, as she watched Alaric move around the small space humming something to himself. He was shaved and his hair seemed to be slightly wet, from the shower perhaps, and he was dressed in deep blue jeans and a long-sleeved dark-gray t-shirt that outlined his broad back and perfectly shaped shoulders. Bittersweet joy filled Jenna and her breath hitched in her throat. It was too good to be true from the start, wasn't it?

He reached to get the cup from the holder above the sink and then must have seen her out of the corner of his eye because he suddenly stopped and turned, coffee forgotten, and she couldn't help but smile back at the sight of his own broad smile that lit up his face.

"Hey, look who is up," Ric walked up to her. "Good morning," he bent down to kiss her, as his hands ran up and down her arms making her body respond to the touch. "Sorry, didn't mean to wake you up."

"Good morning," she whispered back. "It wasn't you, it was the sun. And, I had to borrow this for a while," added referring to his shirt when his glance shot down for a moment and his brows quirked up in silent question. "Mine was totally ruined." And she made a funny face to emphasize her point.

Alaric laughed softly. "Keep it, it looks so much better on you than on me." His hands remained on her shoulders for a little while longer, and then he looked back and at her again. "Coffee?"

"Oh, that would be nice," Jenna nodded suppressing a yawn.

"Okay." He went back to the coffee pot. "Look, I've got an early class today," Ric waited for her to climb onto one of the tall stools and then put a mug filled with dark bitter-smelling liquid before her, "but you can stay here if you want." He took his own cup and leaned against the cool wooden surface of the counter in front of her.

Jenna shook her head. "No, I should go home." She took a sip and all but moaned with pleasure. It did taste good. "I shouldn't have stayed in the first place," she pointed out and then added on a long meaningful look, "Not that it was a bad idea whatsoever."

He grinned at her and then suddenly reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering on her face careful not to touch the cut on her forehead that was now covered with beige band aid as his own face softened and he watched her for a long moment with the expression that Jenna couldn't quite define.

"How are you?"

"Stressed," she replied with a theatrical shiver. "The very thought of talking to the insurance company is depressing." Took another sip watching him over the rim of the mug, and dropped the act then. "It wasn't just an accident, Ric. Guess the talk to the police is on agenda, too. It was rather nightmarish when Elena did the same thing with her car a couple of months back. Better get it over with as fast as I can."

He nodded. "Okay." Jenna thought he was going to add something else, but he only said, "Let's go then."

* * *

"Okay, the trick is to sneak in before—" Jenna started at they walked up the porch. She paused to listen to the sounds behind the door and reached for the knob when she thought she heard none.

But she didn't even have a chance to even touch it as the door suddenly swung open and Elena walked out, her school bag slung over her shoulder, her thumb under the strap, and a mug of coffee in her hand.

They both stopped short after nearly bumping into each other and just gawked at one another for a little while.

"Elena," Jenna began in an overly cheerful voice but that was as much as she could muster.

"Jenna?" Elena blinked at her. Opened her mouth to say something as her brows came together in a confused frown, but then closed it again. Threw a quick glance over her shoulder. "Where have you-? I thought you were-" His eyes went to Alaric, then back to Jenna, then to Ric again and she successfully mimicked Jenna's smile addressing it to him. "Good morning, Mr. Saltzman!"

"Hi," Ric cleared his throat covering the chuckle and fighting to keep a straight face. God knew, it wasn't easy. They should have seen their faces, and yeah, he felt almost guilty for being so amused when Jenna clearly wanted the earth to swallow her, but he couldn't help it.

Awkward silence fell for a moment over them as all three just stood there at a total loss of words, and then was interrupted by the car signal behind their backs.

"Oh, it's… I've gotta go," Elena said being the first to regain her composure. "I have a class and Bonnie is here-" She trailed off and reached for Jenna's hand squeezing it briefly. "I'm so glad you're okay." Gave her a quick hug then and hopped down the porch to where silvery car was waiting for her at the curb.

Jenna closed her eyes for a moment, counted to five and then opened them on a long exhale to see the tail of Bonnie's car disappear around the corner.

"That was unexpected. Do you think she guessed I hadn't been home last night?" She asked Ric in a small miserable voice, obviously searching for support.

"Nope, not a chance," he reassured her.

"Really?"

A quick struggle crossed his face. "Yeah, she definitely did," he replied with confidence after a short pause and then laughed at the sight of helpless defeat on Jenna's face.

"You think it's funny, huh?" She bumped her forehead into his shoulder on a low growl and his arm went around her. "I feel like a very good example of bad." She muttered onto his jacket, her voice muffled.

Alaric chuckled. "She's a big girl, and…" looked at his watch. "It's my class she is having. Crap. I've gotta go. You promise to stay out of trouble?"

Jenna lifter her head. "I promise."

"Good." He kissed her lightly. "And if you need a ride-"

"It's alright," she shook her head. "There's an old Grayson's car in the garage. He… he never got to sell it. It should be fine. Running, I mean. I will only have to fill it up perhaps."

"Oh, okay then," Ric nodded and then gave her a small smile. "I'll call you later."

Once inside the house, Jenna locked the door and heaved a long sigh. She was tired and confused, and her thoughts were a mess, and _embarrassed_ was a serious underestimation of what she was feeling. Even if Ric was right and it wasn't a big deal (because it probably wasn't), it still…

"Hey, Aunt Jenna!" A greeting from behind caught her half-way through self-consolation slash self-reproach. "What's up?"

"Jeremy!" Yeah, it would be too good to be true if she ran _only_ into Elena, right? Bracing herself for whatever might follow, and cursing in her mind for not seeing him right away, she suppressed a sigh and made her way into the kitchen where Jeremy sat at the table with a bowl of cereal and a half-empty mug of coffee. "What are you doing here?"

"We don't have the first period," he replied around the mouthful of cereal, and explained, "Math teacher got sick." And that was when his eyes went up and he finally paid attention to her looks, and she watched his face fall. "What happened to you?"

_Really__, where to start?_

Her hand went up to the band aid on her forehead involuntarily and she refused to think of what she really looked like in Ric's oversized shirt and all covered with scratches and bruises.

"Oh, that? Nothing," she waved her hand and leaned against the back of the chair in front of him trying to look and sound all nonchalant. "Just… ran into something."

"Something like what? A concrete wall?" He snickered.

"A tree. The car looks worse, believe me." Oh, it wasn't a good joke, she realized when Jeremy froze and his eyes grew despite his will. Damn it!

"What happened?"

_Great! Well done, Jenna!_ She kicked herself mentally watching his face change from slightly amused to horrified and fought to find a way to wiggle out of this situation without drama. A car accident. Of course. Again. Like with his parents.

The memory of him flinching every time he had to get in a car for weeks after Miranda and Grayson's death flashed through her memory. She didn't want to even try to imagine what it felt like for him to hear that she was a step away from following her sister to a better world. Her own attempts to block out the bad and only leave the best memories of Miranda backfired in the worst possible way. She was so stressed and scared and simply thrown out of reality last night that the idea simply hadn't occurred to her, and now she couldn't help but feel endlessly bad and even physically sick at the thought of nearly making them go through the whole nightmare all over again.

Jenna tried to keep her face though. Not that pushing back her feelings was something new anyway. Leaning forward, she reached for the bowl of fruit and picked a grape, threw it into her mouth and chewed slowly. "You should have seen the tree," she said in a low confiding voice hoping she'd pull it off. "It's got the worst part of the deal." And enunciated her point with her eyebrows ignoring the lump that formed in her throat as her little adventure gained new and very colorful shade to it.

Jeremy watched her with a mixture of suspicion and disbelief for a little while, but then huffed and shook his head obviously letting her topic slip, and Jenna all but sighed with relief.

"You're… really something, Aunt Jenna."

"I've heard worse," she scoffed. "It's not a big deal, Jer, I swear." Her face turned serious. "I should have been more careful on the road, is all. So far, calling the insurance company seems to be the worst part of the accident for me."

"Well, I kind of guessed it wasn't _that_ bad," he drawled then and his easy tone made her eyes narrow. "Assuming Mr. Saltzman brought you back home in the morning," he finished and downed the remains of his coffee, and added in response to her jaw that dropped in shock. "I saw his car."

And that was exactly the part she wholeheartedly hoped they wouldn't touch. Except that she was almost sure he brought it up intentionally, and she suddenly found herself caught off guard and maybe even flushing a little.

"Yeah, about that-"

"Morning, everyone," John walked into the kitchen interrupting her before Jenna came up with something that sounded better than "_Aliens took me_" looking a little too cheerful for this time of the day, or in general – speaking of that, and it made her wonder what it was about.

"Morning, Uncle John," Jeremy called back getting up. He grabbed bowl and a mug and went to the sink.

John's gaze followed him and then stopped at Jenna whose greeting was limited to a questioning look she gave him, her head tilted slightly in suspicion.

"Jenna? What happened to you?" Yeah, it couldn't have escaped him, could it? "Did you… run into something?"

"It was a tree," Jeremy answered helpfully with a mock-grave face. Well, at least _he_ was past crisis, which couldn't not be somewhat consoling.

John's eyebrows shot up as he looked expectedly at her. "What did I miss?"

She contemplated saying something quick, sharp and witty in response but the exhaustion and overall wish to get the whole situation out of her head won. In the end, she only gave him a cold glare and chose to ignore the question.

"Right." She peered at Jeremy. "You – go to school, now. And I—I have a long day ahead."

Shower, coffee, breakfast, the rest of stuff – in that precise order, she decided. And maybe she'd be lucky enough to survive it.

* * *

A visit from John Gilbert was the last thing Damon expected, and the idea of slamming the door in his face was tempting – more than tempting. He actually had to struggle with himself not to do it. And yet – he suppressed his wish and mustered what was supposed to look like a sincere smile. Well, it was almost sincere, assuming that it was a lot more annoying than the fake one.

"John! What an unpleasant surprise!" He drawled. "What do I owe the honor? Oh, the newspaper!" He bent down to pick it up from the door mat.

John returned neither the smile, nor the greeting. Instead, he let himself into the house and went straight to the living room. Damon rolled his eyes behind his visitor's back, closed the door and followed him wondering what on earth could this man possibly need from him now that everything was more or less clear between the two of them. At least they made a point in hating each other enough to stay as far away from one another as they could, their involvement with the Council assumed.

"What the hell is going on?" John asked stopping in the middle of a huge living room and turning around to glare at Damon.

Damon cocked an eyebrow with his trademark charm. "I'm not exactly a morning person. Could you please be less vague or come back later? Oh, wait! How about you never come back? That would work, too."

John ignored the sarcasm. "I am talking about the attacks," he snapped. "Or did you forget that the Council-"

"I hang out with them too, remember?" Damon interrupted him. "So yeah, I know about the whole drama. Your question still doesn't make much sense to me, I'm sorry."

"What do you know about these… incidents?" He all but hissed.

Damon pretended to give serious thinking to John's words, took his time to make a semi-circle before him knowing that his guest's frustration grew with each passing moment. "Just as much as you do, I'm afraid." And had he been someone else, he'd probably buy the regret he put into his own answer. "And by the way, if you wanted to ask me if I did it, you could have been more direct. I wouldn't hold it against you, John. Not now that we're both fighting against big bad vampires together." And he wiggled his eyebrows.

"Why are you here, Damon?" John asked and his nostrils flared with annoyance.

Damon looked around the room, confused. "I live here," he said patiently, as if talking to someone mentally incompetent.

"In Mystic Falls."

"The real question, John, is why are _you_ here?" He paused to give him a long once-over. "Did you know that after all these years Isobel was going to come back? Or-" His eyes narrowed. "Was it she who asked you to come?"

They started at each other as if having a mental battle for a long while.

"I want you to stay away from my family," John pointed a finger at Damon. "Or I swear, I-"

"What?" The vampire rolled his eyes. "I thought we already were past the _I'll-hunt-you-down-and-stake-you_ thing, really. You're repeating yourself."

"I mean it, Damon."

"Get in line, seriously. And by the way, does Elena know about the extent of your _fatherly_ feelings?"

John froze. "What are you talking about?"

"You know what I am talking about," Damon's voice was soft now. "How else would Elena end up in your family? Too much for just a coincidence, don't you think?"

"How do you know?"

Damon snorted. "I'm surprised no one figured it out yet. It's so obvious." He walked up to John knowing that the man could probably feel the danger emanating from him. "And just for the record, it was your ex and not me who practically stalked your daughter and wanted to slaughter half of the town. So how about that – you stop threatening me every time we happen to run into each other and I promise to try not to spill your little secret to wide masses? Because I am really sick and tired of being accused of everything that happens in this little paradise of a place."

"Who is threatening who now?"

"I am offering a truce." Damon corrected him "And I'm not doing it for you. Elena has enough crap to deal with now, the last thing she needs is someone like you to add to it. And if you see a threat in it, I can't help but feel sorry for you." He stepped back, his face is controlled again. "You know where the door is, right?"

* * *

Jenna knew it wouldn't be a pretty view in the daylight. And still, she couldn't help but cringe when she arrived at the spot right after the insurance agent.

There was hardly much left of the hood – that was practically wrapped around the trunk of the tree with the pieces of torn metal spiking here and there where it broke under the impact. The whole trunk was scratched all over and the wind finished the job that the tree started – the entire windshield was lying shattered on the dashboard and front seats, some sharp pieces that got stuck in the frame still sticking out, glinting dangerously in the sunlight.

Blinking in the morning sun, she shielded her eyes with her hand and took a closer look letting the busy-looking agent – a man in his forties in dark-blue trench coat – fill in the forms he had on the clip-board and make all necessary measurements, or whatever.

She pushed away the hair that the light breeze kept throwing in her face and her gaze traveled along the flattened grass that her car left behind all the way up to the highway. Fifty feet at least, she thought as sinking feeling settle in the pit of her stomach. The huge stone that she managed to avoid by some unbelievable luck could have sent her car rolling down the hill, and in that case she'd hardly make it out of this adventure without stitches and probably a stay in the hospital.

She jerked as the phone started to ring in her bag. So much for being jumpy, huh? Jenna retrieved it, threw a quick look at the insurance agent who seemed to be too preoccupied with his task to pay any attention to her and pushed the answer button.

"Hello?" Waited for a moment but no one responded. "Hello?" She repeated louder cupping her hand around her mouth thinking that she might have not spoken loud enough but all she heard was static on the line. Static, and what she took for soft breathing for a moment. And then silence fell when whoever called her disconnected. Jenna looked at the small screen. The caller ID of whoever tried to reach her was hidden. "Very funny," she muttered trying to push back the inexplicable chill that started to crawl beneath her skin.

Someone had just dialed the wrong number by mistake, heard unfamiliar voice and hung up, right? No big deal. And yet…

Jenna frowned, somewhat worried by how everything inside of her twisted for no apparent reason and was about to stuff her phone into the pocket of her jacket when another round of shrills stopped her halfway. She hesitated for a moment as if something kept her back, and then picked it up.

"_Hey, it's me_," a familiar voice said in reply to her greeting giving her heart a small leap.

"Ric," she breathed out with relief feeling the corners of her lips tug up of the will of their own. "Hi. Is everything okay?"

"_Yeah, just a… um, touch base_," he joked. "_I'm having an extremely boring break here. Thought I'd… make it a little less unpleasant. What are you up to?_"

"Oh, I am having a very exciting excursion to the ruins," Jenna informed him.

"_That bad, huh?_" She could hear sympathy in his voice.

"Well, let's say I liked the way it looked at night much better." She paused for a moment, and then blurted out, surprising herself. "Mm… Ric? Did you just call me?"

"_When?_"

"Two minutes ago, maybe."

"_No. Why?_"

_Obviously, because I am going nuts._ "Missed call. Thought it was you." She lied hating herself for that but there really was no reason to make a big thing of it, right? "Never mind."

"_Oh, okay. Look… how long are you going to be stuck there?_"

"I don't know. Not long I hope. Why?"

There was a short pause on the line before Alaric asked. "_Wanna… wanna join me for lunch? I was thinking… you and me, and three hundred of other students. What would you say?_"

She let out a short laugh, surprised and ridiculously pleased. "Wow, now that's an offer no girl can turn down."

"Miss Sommers?" She heard from behind and turned to see the insurance agent – Dave? – wave at her asking her to come to him.

"I'm sorry, I've got to go now," she said a bit hurriedly and surely with regret, and added, "But I'll be there."

Jenna marched back to where the man was scribbling something on his clipboard, her jeans soaking through at the ankles from walking on the grass that was still wet from the rain. Not exactly the feeling she liked after the previous night, but she chose to ignore it and focus on tasks at hand.

"I'm done here," Dave started as soon as she was close enough and tucked his pen into the holder on the clipboard. Looked over his shoulder at the car with what Jenna thought was a profound skepticism and then faced her again. "I am going to call for the truck now to have your car towed to the shop so that they could estimate the damage," he explained.

"Okay."

He nodded curtly. "Good. I suggest you check if you've left anything that you think you'd need inside. Gloved, glasses." He shrugged and reached for his phone. "It'll take a while to bring your car back to-" he cut off and Jenna wondered what he was going to say, which quite frankly was understandable since even in her opinion the mess before them wasn't an easy piece to fix. "Just have a look."

"Yeah, sure."

Jenna checked the back seat and the trunk. Found a colorful satin scarf in the latter that she or Elena forgot there and stuffed it into her bag. Opened the front passenger door and dove inside trying to be careful with the glass that was lying all over before her. Two CD disks from the compartment between the seats followed the scarf. She paused then, considering. Even despite rather cool air outside, the car got warm in the sun and felt a little stuffy and not even the wind blowing through the destroyed windshield helped much.

Not that she ever kept anything valuable here, Jenna thought and decided that she would do just fine without whatever was left, like a pack of napkins in the pocket behind the driver's seat or a sunscreen for the back window she spotted in the trunk several minutes ago.

Her eyes stopped at the gloves compartment then. _Gloves, glasses_ – Dave's words shot through her mind. Without any second thought she reached to open it. And then froze in her spot, one hand still lying on the back of the seat and another holding the gloves compartment handle as her heart jumped up to her throat first and then plummeted down heavily and her blood started to drum in her ears.

On top of the folded state road map and right beside the case for her sunglasses lay a folded piece of paper that matched the one that she found the other night in her room. A small beige postcard with ivy ornament on the front side. And she would probably think that it was the same one, except that Jenna knew with absolute accuracy that the postcard that she got before was still lying on the nightstand in her bedroom. That was one of a very few things she was 100% sure of.

This morning it was the first thing that she saw when she walked into her room and, sitting on her bed, she took her time to examine it closely once again hoping to find something that slipped her attention the night she received it, what with the darkness and her half-awake and pretty nervous state. Be damned that crow! The handwriting was beautiful, almost calligraphic and what she would call _old style_. Not the scrawls that most of her notes were. Someone took an effort to make it look… well, presentable. Like on the wedding invitations. Except that this someone totally forgot to sign it, she huffed with frustration and put it back realizing all of a sudden that she had more important things to deal with than studying what probably was either a mistake, or a joke, or both and – what was most important – was not necessarily directed at her.

Why would anyone leave her anything like that anyway?

The sun that was making its way into her room thought the curtains and filling it with the soft yellowish light made all of her fears and half-formed assumptions look irrational and ridiculous. By the time she woke up the previous morning, the memories of the nightmare blurred and the images faded in her mind, which of course wasn't a bad thing. She simply threw another glance at it and decided to forget about it for good.

And she probably would, if she hadn't found another one…

Jenna swallowed hard and reached for it hoping madly that it was just a piece of paper, like a receipt from the shop or a napkin, or something else similarly meaningless, which looked like a postcard in the semi-darkness of the gloves compartment. The hope fell to pieces as soon as she touched it though. The texture and the thickness of it told her everything even before she retrieved it to the light. With the trembling fingers Jenna opened it slowly and thanked God she was sitting as the dizziness washed over her and the chill ran down her spine.

Inside, she saw one line written in red ink in the same neat handwriting: _Have a safe trip_.

With her gaze running along the line over and over again, Jenna climbed out nearly stumbling on uneven ground beneath her feet. Not that it was that easy to keep her focus on the words though, assuming that her hands shaking and the letters jumped before her eyes.

What the hell was going on?

Her head was spinning as her mind fought to find a simple and logical explanation and everything inside of her twisted making her feel sick by the second. Absently, she looped her hair around her ear and noted without surprise that her legs started to feel heavy and not exactly reliable to stand on.

It was the roar of the car from the highway that gave her a start and she jerked her head up to see red minivan disappearing out of her sight.

"Miss Sommers?" Dave was looking at her shielding his eyes from the sun with her clipboard. "Are you done?"

She processed the question in her mind. "Yes," replied after a short pause and asked him, squinting in the sunlight, "Do you need me for anything else?"

"Just a signature here," he handed her the clipboard and pointed to the place she needed to sign. Jenna ran her eyes quickly through the text and then scribbled something barely definable in the bottom right corner. "And here," he turned the page over. "That's all." Checked everything and nodded more to himself than to her. "We'll call you."

"Sure." She responded distractedly suddenly aware of clutching the card tight in her hand. Looked up to where her car was parked, not visible from where she stood, and turned back to the agent. "I'm sorry, but I really need to be somewhere else now."

"No problem," he didn't acknowledge her leave in any specific way.

* * *

They found a free picnic table at the far end of the back yard close to the football field where in the absence of the players several students were sitting on the grass in semi-circle, their bags scattered carelessly around them, and discussing the parade.

"Wow, school food," Jenna observed the selection of snacks on the plastic tray before her in almost awe. "I hadn't eaten anything like that ever since…"

"School?" Alaric suggested helpfully.

She laughed. "Yeah, something like that." She shook her head under his amused gaze not able to hold her own smile back. Looked over her shoulder at the kids to the right from them – obviously, the members of the Founders Day committee, or so Jenna guessed by the bits of conversation that she managed to capture – and then asked, "How is the preparation going?"

Ric followed her gaze. "Crazy," he admitted. "There's so much to do and we're totally short of time – of course! – which doesn't make it any easier. Honestly, most of time I want to run away, screaming," added on a chuckle and then cocked his head slightly. "Is it always like that?"

"The celebration? Well, yes, as far as I remember. But this time it is this 150 years anniversary. Big date and all. So consider yourself lucky."

He took his time to think her answer through. "We should seriously work on your understanding of luck some time," Ric said at last with firm determination.

The comment made Jenna all but choke with her orange juice and she barely managed to swallow it without laughing. Looked across the table at him. "Thanks."

"For what?"

"This," she nodded at their trays and then swept the whole yard packed with students with her glance before meeting his eyes again.

"Junk food and noise?" Alaric specified.

"Yes, junk food and noise," she nodded. "I really needed it."

"Well, the pleasure is all mine," he beamed a smile at her and then studied his ham and cheese sandwich thoughtfully. "I am fortunate to enjoy it every day. Thought I didn't have to suffer alone all the time." His expression softened when he studied her face closely. "Tough morning?"

"Yeah," Jenna let out long breath and raked her hair back from her face. "You could say that." She crossed her ankles under the bench and picked a salted cracker from the plastic plate. "I had to fill, like, a ton of forms for the insurance company. Don't remember the last time I had to do so much paperwork. They promised to try to deal with it as fast as they could but it will take some time all the same."

"Did you talk to the police?"

"Yes, I did." She rubbed at her forehead with uncertainty and offered him a small smile. "That was the fun part."

"What did they say?"

"Well," Jenna leaned forward a little propping herself on her elbows, "As long as there is no evidence of anyone following me, there is no case." She shrugged. "Not that I didn't see it coming," added under her breath. "So, now it's between me, my imagination and stupid tree."

She hoped she managed to keep it light and not let the irritation slip because that was exactly what she was feeling ever since talking to the police office who made it perfectly clear that she must have fallen asleep while driving. Lulled by the rain perhaps, she thought dryly. And that was exactly what she didn't need to bring up at all and ruin their small getaway.

Even if, truth be told, there was something else. Something that lurked in the back of her mind, like a thought she couldn't quite grasp, or a vague memory. Something that she wasn't able get out of her head but that kept slipping away from her every single time she came close enough to catch it. She knew it was nothing. She knew it was unreasonable.

And yet, the uneasy feeling was sill there, like a suspicion that something was seriously wrong. She couldn't quite shake it off for a little while already. And she couldn't help feeling that someone was constantly watching her, breathing down her neck even, a heavy glare burning the back of her head and making her throw quick looks over her shoulder every now and then. She could feel it with her skin.

Ever since she had that dream, Jenna realized if a little belatedly. Ever since she found the first card. The awareness downed on her like a heavy stone muting all of her other thoughts, making her practically deaf to everything around, and she wondered how she never saw it before. Not that it was making any sense because there still was no connection, or least she couldn't find any yet. But… but she couldn't ignore it either because… okay, she didn't know why but that was either this, or her becoming a paranoiac with persecution mania, and Jenna honestly preferred the first one. Except that—

Except that even the first theory was a bit too insane for comfort, even with the whole vampire thing in the background.

Well, maybe—

"Jenna?"

Somehow the voice made it to her ears and snapped her out of her thoughts and back to the sunny but windy afternoon and her sitting with Ric in the high school backyard. Her fingers flexed on the cracker and it broke in two pieces and fell back to her plate.

"What?" Her gaze fixed on Ric's brows lifted up questioningly. Obviously, the conversation was one-sided for a little while as she was doing a lousy job on her part, too distracted by her mental speculations. "Oh God, I'm sorry. I…"

"Got a little carried away?" He offered.

"Sort of." Jenna chuckled softly and then gave him a small apologetic smile. "It's… there's just some stuff that I try to wrap my mind around but-" she trailed off not sure what exactly she was going to say.

Alaric looked at her seriously. "Is there something else?"

Her first impulse was to say _No_ and laugh it off because seriously? She was being ridiculous, and rational and logical part of her screamed about it in earnest. And thank God for that! Everything else was just her imagination and half-formed guesses that had no sensible ground, right?

_Yeah, tell him_, small voice nudged her with a tease. _About the messages, and calls, and stuff. And don't forget the crow that followed you out of your dream and right onto the tree outside your window. That would be interesting! Not as interesting as a feeling of being followed – nothing can beat that perhaps – but still!_

Jenna scowled mentally at herself. Except—except that it was Ric. Why not tell him everything? He'd most definitely decide that she was overreacting – which was probably true – and she'd feel much better. Well, she'd feel pretty silly first, but then again there was one thing about Ric that she knew for sure – he'd always listen to her, and that alone was somewhat comforting. She could deal with _silly_, and she definitely could use someone else's opinion on the things, if only to sort them out for herself. Who else could she possibly tell if not him, anyway?

Alaric watched her closely, expecting for a reply – any reply by the looks of it. And as much as she'd like to shake it off, she knew better than being so damn secretive.

"There's-" she started when she made up her mind just as the bell rang cutting her off and they both turned involuntarily to look at the school and the students that took off and streamed into the double doors hurrying to get to their classrooms.

"You were saying?" Ric's attention was back to her in a moment.

"No, nothing." Jenna shook her head. "You should probably-"

"Yeah," he looked over his shoulder again as if torn, but then nodded if a little hesitantly and got up. Circled the table and bent down to kiss her. "I'll catch up with you later."

"Sure."

She held his gaze for a long moment marveling in the warm feeling that formed in her stomach and spread all over her body making her feel… oddly right. God, she was in trouble. How not cool was that, huh? Jenna watched him cross the yard and enter the school and then tapped her fingers on the table. She had things to do. Like, to check if Grayson's car was functioning properly to begin with. No need for bad surprises now, thank you! Getting back to her thesis was a close second on her must-do list. Throwing all that crap out of her mind – top priority!

…The phone call caught Alaric when he was trying to make his way back to his class in the sea of high-school students who tended to change the trajectory of their movement so fast that he needed to stay alert most of time to avoid bumping into someone or another every now and then.

He wiggled his phone out of the pocket of his jeans. Caller ID said: _Damon Salvatore_, which never meant anything good, and he winced against himself, so not up to facing yet another disaster. For one thing, Damon would hardly call to have a small talk or open his heart and soul, or something else like that. Ric maneuvered his way out of the crowd and squeezed into the corner between the door to the gym that he knew was empty now and the lockers.

"Please, tell me you dialed my number by mistake," he breathed out into the receiver trying to keep his voice as low as possible.

"_Can't you at least make an effort to pretend that you're happy to hear me?_" Damon snickered.

"No then," Ric sighed and looked around to make sure no one was close enough to eavesdrop. The hall was almost empty by then, luckily. His eyes locked on the clock on the wall. He was three minutes late for his class already. "What is it this time?"

Damon ignored him though. "_What's with all the noise?_" He asked curiously instead.

"I work at school, remember?"

"_Ah, yes. Deliciously fresh students. How could it slip my mind?_" He sounded almost embarrassed with himself. "_Are they the reason of the global crisis I hear in your voice?_"

"No, it's because we've got a problem," Ric lowered his voice even more.

There was a muffled noise of Damon's end of the line. "_Speaking of which, I'm now reading the morning newspaper here. Seven deaths in the last three days – two locals, three tourists and two campers that were having a wild life fun at the lake not far from Mystic Falls. That's beside the deaths that we already know about._"

"Yeah, that too."

"_Too?_" Damon got all serious by the second, his voice cautious and alarmed. "_Is there anything else?_"

The bite marks on Jenna's neck in the silvery light flashed before Ric's mind's eye and he swallowed hard fighting the nauseating feeling caused by the thought of someone being that close to killing her that kept haunting him. His free hand balled into a fist against his will.

"Much to my dismay."

"_Well, I've got good news then._"

"Humor me," Ric muttered.

"_How do you feel about a late night field trip?_"

* * *

"Someone fed on her!" Alaric said with poorly masked anger holding back the wish to kick something. His breath was puffing out in small white clouds and he tucked his hands deeper into the pockets of his coat feeling his blood boil with rage.

"You sure?" Damon frowned. Whatever he expected Ric's _problem_ to be, it obviously was anything but that.

"I know what bite marks look like, thank you," and he shook his head. "And they left her alive which… which I can't explain because it makes no sense."

Damon's eyebrows cocked up. "And Jenna doesn't know who it was?"

Ric grimaced. "She doesn't even know that it happened."

"What?" The vampire, who was studying the _Mystic Grill_ sign hanging above the entrance to the bar, whipped his head around and all but gawked at Alaric with what could be qualified as utter and complete disbelief. "You're kidding, right?"

"Nope. The bite – it's on the back of her neck," his jaw tightened at the memory. "Whoever did it, made sure she'd never see it unless she knew where to look, and what to look for – to begin with." He looked at Damon somewhat helplessly then. "I didn't tell her. Didn't want to freak her out."

"Then how on earth did you-" Damon started but the stumbled when the pieces of the picture clicked together. "Oh," he drawled and his lips stretched into a wide sly grin. "I see." Alaric scowled at him and he scoffed. "Oh please, don't flatter yourself, Ric. Your love life is the last thing on my list of interests, believe me. No need to be so pouty about it."

"Whatever," Ric rolled his eyes.

"What I don't understand is how could she not notice?" Damon's forehead puckered up and his voice was mildly frustrated. Apparently, the puzzles like that annoyed him. Not that it wasn't understandable. "Compulsion?"

Ric pinched the bridge of his nose. "She stayed unconscious for a little while. I guess that was when she got attacked. She's, um… she's wearing vervain so she couldn't have been compelled or something." He heaved a long exasperate sigh. "It's getting too far, Damon. She could've died. We've got to do something about it."

"How about catch and kill?" Damon offered with excitement beaming at him.

"And, wasn't it the general idea from the start?"

"Well, now that you've mentioned it," he reached into the pocket of his black leather jacket and retrieved something from it. A small golden object winked at Ric in the light of streetlamps when the vampire passed it over to him with a nonchalant expression. "Here it is."

Alaric took his time to study what obviously was an antique pocket watch with a very delicate engraving on both sides of it. It felt cool and heavy in his hand. Nice thing, surely expensive by the looks of it and probably historically valuable, but—

"A watch?" He blinked at Damon.

"Yes, Ric, a watch. So that you could always check the time when yet another tragedy falls upon us." He agreed with mock patience and snorted then. "Open it, would you?"

Alaric did and then looked up at Damon again when he didn't see the usual watch face that he expected he would. "What is it?"

"It's a compass," Damon explained. "Jonathan Gilbert's invention from 1864 peppered with one little witch's magic. It is sort of _attuned_ to the vampires." He shrugged, and as if to confirm his words, thick arrow made a full circle and then stopped still, its sharp end pointing at Damon.

"Wow, that's… handy." As well as amazing and unbelievable. "Where did you get it?"

"Let's say we're lucky to have a Gilbert for a friend." And added, "Elena gave it to me so that we could try and track this thing down before Mystic Falls became extinct." He waited for the information to sink. "I can't do anything with it, for obvious reasons," He said with a dramatic sigh. "See, it will keep pointing at me, like, all the time."

"Side effect of being who you are, huh?" Ric smirked – couldn't help it, really. But Damon only scolded in response. "What should I do?"

"Now we're talking business." The vampire pushed himself off of the hood of Alaric's car. "Put this on the dashboard and have a drive around the neighborhood. If you come to our visitor close enough, the compass will react to it. Just don't speed up."

"Got it."

It was almost exciting at first – circling the town, waiting for the compass to come to life and start spinning or something. In two hours though it got a little boring. An hour and a half after that driving around with the turtle speed became plain annoying and the very plan started to look like a rather stupid waste of time. The anticipation of the miracle faded and was replaced by an overwhelming numbness, which wasn't that really surprising assuming that the time was nearing four in the morning, and the whole idea seemed to be falling to shit.

Ric let out a long sigh and stifled a yawn. Blinked several times to concentrate on the road and debated turning on the radio. He didn't risk to do it before, scared to lose his attention and to miss something but now it was either that or running into the nearest hedge. Coffee would help perhaps, he thought with despair and even thinking about it made him practically feel bitter scent of it.

If only he found out that all of this was just Damon's idea of fun, he was so going to rip the vampire's head off, Ric thought darkly. He wouldn't put it past Damon, honestly.

Except that Damon had his own reasons to have the creature caught and stopped by any means. That, though, Ric tried not to go too deep into and let the vampire deal with it on his own. Falling for his brother girlfriend was a very bad idea in general. Repeating the story for the second time and in the same place where it all began 145 years ago was an even worse scenario, which made Alaric wonder against his will how it would end this time.

He jerked slightly when his phone started to ring on the passenger seat and groped for it keeping his eyes on the road, his gaze darting to the right and to the left as he observed dark houses – where normal people were all long asleep. With dread he thought of the football training session that was planned for the morning and all but groaned at the prospect.

"_Any luck?_" A lazy voice asked.

Damon.

"For how long am I supposed to have this detour, exactly?" Ric inquired with a mist of annoyance in his voice. "I believe I already know the town better than anyone else around here."

"_The answer is no, I guess_."

"Look, it's been more than here hours." He tried not to let his exhaustion slip but knew he didn't succeed much. "You guys can move fast. What if our guest camps 100 miles outside Mystic Falls and only shows up for dinner? I mean, seriously, Damon, he could be anywhere. And what's the range of work of this thing, again?"

"_Do you have a better plan?_" Damon asked dryly.

"I have a plan to be functioning properly tomorrow," he cut off and corrected himself. "Today. Some of us have to work, you know."

"_Duh, what's fun in that? I thought we were all about teaming up and fighting now! Besides, who are you going to work with if the number of your students starts decreasing?_"

"Yeah, thanks, _that_ was helpful."

But damn it, he had a point and Ric knew it. They had to do something and do it quick, if only because the overall panic was the last thing they needed, period. Not to mention that it wasn't just a wish to protect the unknowing and innocent. It was a personal revenge no matter how hard he tried to take it differently, and Alaric's fingers flexed on the steering wheel at the thought. Going against Jenna was a bad move, and apparently it was the trigger that needed to be pulled to set his outrage free. Whoever did it – accidentally or on purpose, was not going to get away with it just like that.

They were still walking on thin ice but one thing Ric knew for sure. Wherever they would go and however their story would end, he already cared deep enough not to ever let anyone lay so much as a finger on Jenna or hurt her again. His determination was surprising and even somewhat frightening even for himself, but when he said that he would make sure she'd get the best – he meant it.

Except that he was exhausted like hell and not really useful at any rate. The previous night was stressful and draining enough to add this wild goose chase to it.

"_Anyway, keep going,_" Damon singsonged but his voice was swallowed by the outburst of laughter on his side of the line.

"Where are you?"

"_The bar. Just me, some bourbon, and crazy folks that have a birthday party. So noisy!_" The way it sounded – almost like a complaint – made Ric grit his teeth.

"You know what-" he started ready to send this whole campaign to hell but then his ears caught the crackling noise coming from the dashboard. His gaze jerked to the compass even before the realization formed fully in his head and fixed on the arrow that shifted to the right and kept moving as his car continued to go further down the street. He clutched the phone tight and hit the brakes on instinct, his body jerking forward as the car came to an abrupt stop.

"_What?_" Damon asked rather lazily, completely oblivious to what had happened.

"I have something," Ric whispered as if seriously thinking that the compass could be spooked by the loud voice. Crazy as it seemed, he couldn't help it.

"_Like what?_"

"Damn it!" His phone now squeezed between his shoulder and his ear, he made a U-turn making the tires let out a loud squeal. "What do I do now?"

Finally, Damon seemed to catch up with what was going on. "_Follow it_."

"Oh crap," Ric let out in a whoosh of breath after a little while.

"_What?_"

"It stopped."

"_What do you mean stopped? You lost it?_"

"No, I didn't." Ric swallowed. "I'm right outside my apartment, Damon." He knew he was saying the words but they weren't making any sense even to him. Absently, his gaze slid up the driveway and fixed on the familiar curtains on the living room windows. The impossibility of situation making it hard to believe it was real. "It points at my apartment."

**To be continued…

* * *

**

Comments and reviews are always highly appreciated :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's notes:** Sorry guys, it took me ages to update :P I was supposed to do it a few days ago but got a little stuck with my job and all :P

So well, here it is :) Hope you'll like it :)

* * *

**Chapter 6**

"_Wait, what?_" Damon asked, clearly struck.

"What part of _It points at my apartment_ wasn't clear enough, exactly?" Alaric whispered back.

With his eyes darting between the compass and the first-floor windows of the two-storey four-apartment building, one of a few on the block, so fast that it made him feel almost dizzy, he reached blindly into the backseat for his rifle loaded with vervain darts trying to hold his breath as best he could, way too aware of the vampire super-senses of his guest that were sharp enough even to hear him swallow if he wanted to, and that was exactly what he longed to avoid.

Carefully, he laid the rifle on his lap and groped for the door handle behind his back, his gaze practically glued to the house now and everything about him was tense and focused. The arrow didn't move an inch otherwise he's hear it. Alaric's throat suddenly went dry.

Finally, he managed to grab the handle and pulled it as slowly as possible. It clicked almost soundlessly and he prayed the door wouldn't creak. Chilly air crept into the car and through his close making Ric shiver against his will, and he wondered involuntarily if it was just it or was it the danger crawling in on him that made his blood run cold.

Slowly, holding his breath for the most part and still pressing his mobile to his ear, he slipped out. Paused to reach for the compass and then slid down the side of the car watching the house intensely through the front passenger-door's window. The rifle stayed lying on the driver's seat – close enough for him to reach for it any moment – as Ric tried to gather his thoughts together. The whole – grab the rifle, open the door, leave the car – thing took only 20 seconds or so, but it seemed to last forever.

And apparently, it didn't go past Damon.

"_What are you doing there?_" The vampire inquired suspiciously.

"What do you think I am doing, Damon?" Alaric breathed out going all rigid from tension.

"_Something stupid._" The door slammed on Damon's end of the line indicating that he left the bar, and then Ric heard the car horn – and it all sounded oddly surreal in the world that seemed to shrink in size and only contained Ric himself, his car, twenty feet of the driveway and the house he simply couldn't look away from even if he really wanted to. "_Don't move,_" Damon warned him, his voice somehow reaching Ric's ears. "_I have no wish to scrape your blood off of the pavement if you get yourself killed._"

"Nice, Damon."

"_I'll be right there_." And then he disconnected.

"Yeah, and what if…" Ric started but dead silence cut him off and he stuffed the phone into the pocket of his coat cursing under his breath. What if this thing got away?

But he barely had time to contemplate the consequences of that because a blur of a movement he saw out of the corner of his eye caught his attention making him spin around nearly losing his balance as his heart stilled and his hand went instinctively for his rifle. And then stopped half way through when he realized that it was Damon who Ric found sitting in a crouch next to him, his gaze practically glued to the dark form of the building.

"Jumpy?" Damon snickered in barely audible voice as his lips curled into a crooked smirk.

"Funny," Ric grimaced and then they both fell silent just watching the house.

"I don't hear anything," Damon said at last. "Are you sure-"

"No, it was a twisted joke," Alaric regarded him darkly. "Stop asking me that."

He opened his palm where the compass lay clutched tight and they both stared at it, but as soon as it happened, the arrow started to tremble and then turned to the right pointing at Damon.

"Yeah, of course," Ric muttered.

"Don't call it a side-effect," Damon warned him. "Stay here." And he made an attempt to get up to his feet.

Ric grabbed him by the sleeve of his jacket. "What the hell are you doing _now_?"

"You want to sit here all night?" Damon hissed. "There's no one there, otherwise I'd hear them."

"Fine, I'm going with you then."

Alaric got up too not sure if he was disappointed or relieved by the news. The impending danger looming over them was frightening and more than unnerving but then again, wouldn't it be better to get it over with and leave it all behind and not have a _catastrophe of the week_ at least once? But yeah, it sounded too good to be true even in his mind, and yet – hell if he was going to give up hoping for it.

Damon let out a frustrated huff. "Why don't you cover my back instead, huh? Just in case, you know."

"What case?" Ric hissed but Damon was already gone, as quickly and smoothly as he appeared. _Damn it!_

He hesitated for a brief moment but then put the compass into the pocket, grabbed the rifle and followed the vampire into the darkness bending practically to the ground to stay as unnoticeable as possible. The frozen grass crunched beneath his feel when he crossed the lawn and even to him it sounded so loud in complete silence that Ric couldn't help but wince. Had someone needed to detect them, they'd have no problem with doing so.

Cautiously he approached the house, and was this close to having a heart attack when Damon suddenly appeared right before him from around the corner looking annoyed to say the least, or completely pissed off – if the _Give me someone to kill_ expression was any indication.

"There's no one in there," he muttered though his teeth, practically fuming.

"You sure?" Ric looked around with obvious uncertainty trying to listen as intently as he could but of course hearing nothing but his own heavy breath and Damon's almost inaudible curses.

"Yes," Damon all but snapped. "Whoever was there is definitely gone by now."

"Damn it," Alaric breathed out, lowered his rifle registering that his arm hurt from holding it so tight and raked his fingers through his hair.

"I think I told you to stay behind," Damon scowled at him getting even more frustrated by the second.

"You're not serious," Ric snorted and shook his head as if the very implication of him taking Damon's orders was completely ridiculous, which, as a matter of fact, it was.

"You could have had your head ripped off as easy as that," Damon snapped his fingers before Alaric's face.

"Yes, Mom, thanks," Ric scoffed.

"Just saying," Damon shrugged. "Not that it is any of my business anyway. What I want to know is how that vampire got inside of your apartment, Ric? Any ideas?"

"He didn't." He regarded Damon speculatively. "I am very selective about who I invite in, so this person must have been lurking around." He paused then, and finished, "Which still can't be a coincidence."

"You mean because of what happened to Jenna?" Damon frowned.

"I already don't know what to think," Ric hoped his didn't sound too lost, which honestly, he wasn't that far from. He looked down the driveway and to the curb where his car was parked and then up at the windows again. The silence was almost pressing and even his own heavy breathing and hammering heartbeat seemed to be oddly loud, especially with someone who could hear it as clearly as he did sticking around.

"Personally, I'd check your place for starters." Damon suggested. "Just to be sure."

Feeling a little dumb because of not thinking about it in the first place, Ric nodded. "Right."

He put the rifle into the left hand and reached into the pocket for the keys. Slowly, he pushed the door open and stepped inside the hallway cautiously pausing before the door to his apartment, scanning the hall and the dark shadows that could have been a perfect hiding place. Everything was silent and still, and when the floor board creaked beneath his feet, it sounded like a peal of thunder – as loud and unexpected.

He turned the key and opened the door then, stepped inside, reached for the switch and turned on the lights. Not quite on alert but still ready to act, he listened as best he could, until a cough stopped him short.

"Ric, I think you forgot something."

Alaric turned around and looked out the door at Damon who was hovering on the doorstep of the apartment building, his expression a mixture of amusement and irritation. Well, irritation was winning though.

"You've gotta be kidding me," he shook his head. "I am not going to invite you in."

Damon's smirk fell, "If I wanted to kill you, I'd do it a long time ago, and believe me, you wouldn't even notice it."

"You tried," Ric reminded him.

"But it didn't work."

"And how is that a thing that could change my mind?"

"Fine," Damon lifted his hands into the air and even took a small step back. "But if one day something creeps inside of your bachelor pad and tries to eat you alive, I'll stay here and watch it, and oh, it will be a hell of a show!"

Ric narrowed his eyes at the vampire, considering. Well, Damon had a point and he had to admit it. Not that he trusted him to the fullest – not even close, truth be told – but at the moment it didn't make much difference. If Damon actually decided to kill him, he'd find a way to do it fast and smooth, and he was probably right about him not even noticing it. Except that he was a vampire, which sort of made _deadly dangerous_ his middle name, but right now it hardly was a time for their issues.

In the end he rolled his eyes, frustrated with himself more than with Damon.

"All right, come in, and please don't mess around," and held the door open for him.

Damon beamed at him "I thought you'd never offer." He walked past Ric and into the living room. "Nice. Wow, is that what you use for school?" Picked up a book from the table that had _Applied Psychology_ written on the cover. "Or is it a hobby?" He called after Ric who disappeared in the depths of his apartment.

Alaric returned to the living room after checking the rest of the rooms and dropped the rifle onto the couch, took the book from Damon and put it back onto the table. "It's Jenna's." And cut off whatever comment might have come with a heavy glare.

"Do you still think that this whole thing is not personal?" Damon inquired in a mock patient voice.

"Isobel is gone, Damon," he attempted to say her name in a flat even voice and failed completely cringing inwardly at how his chest tightened as the memories of the woman he loved more than anything mixed with the images of the cold and detached creature she'd become. "I don't see how else it could be personal."

"No, she's not," Damon announced.

"How do you know?" Ric's heart gave a leap despite his will and expectations and his voice came out oddly hoarse although he tried to ignore it.

"Because I do," the vampire heaved an exasperated sigh as if explaining what was so obvious was getting a tad annoying. "Hadn't you noticed that dear Uncle John Gilbert, the beloved son of Mystic Falls and BFF of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, is still hanging around? Not literary unfortunately."

"So?"

"_So?_ Oh, please, Ric," Damon rolled his eyes. "He and Isobel shared a colorful past and then they showed up here right one after another, clearly for the same reason as they both claim to be in touch with Katherine." And it was Damon's turn to grimace at the name. "He wouldn't just drop by to have a family visit and save the town since it didn't bother him much before. So, my point is, one plus one equals-" And he let his eyebrows finish the idea.

"Yeah, except that I don't quite see how killing a dozen of spoke would ruin my life."

"First, don't confuse fun with dinner," Damon pointed out. "Your _oh so perfect_ human logic does not always work with us, see. Stalking and hunting is almost as much fan as killing."

"Wait… Are you saying that someone is stalking Jenna?" The whole idea was so horrible that all but choked on his words.

"Um, no. I don't, actually. I don't want to disappoint you but that would be, one, too much drama, and two – too much honor. I mean I like you guys, bout gosh, you're boring."

"Thank you, Damon! Closer to the point?"

Damon hemmed. "If – and it is a huge if – it is not Isobel with some twisted idea of hers, then it is either a very unbelievably fantastic one-in-a-million-chance coincidence. Or," he made a long meaning pause here, "it was just a check."

_Huh?_ "A – what?"

"Well, like you said, Jenna couldn't have been compelled. And being unconscious is not even close to safety as compulsion. Maybe, I don't know, she started to come to her senses or stirred when the vampire was feeding on her. And stop trying to burn me with your glare," he added when Ric's gaze hardened. "You already made it clear that you hate the idea. And I'm just saying what we both know." And continued. "This… _someone_ saw you and followed you here to make sure your girlfriend didn't remember anything."

"But…" if Damon meant it to sound consoling then it obviously was the worst reassurance ever. "Doesn't it mean that she's… in danger?" Oh God, yeah, that was exactly the thought he needed to be planted in his head.

Damon's forehead creased in confusion. "How?"

"You just said that if she saw anything-"

"But she didn't, right?"

Alaric hesitated, "No, she didn't."

"What's the big deal then? Get over it!"

"Whatever, Damon. That thing is still running there, whatever the reason is, and it means that, like, _everyone_ in town is in danger, and we still don't have the slightest idea of who it could possibly be. And neither of what we're talking about here helps, you know. All those people – they are still dead."

Damon opened his mouth to say something in response but his phone beeped shortly interrupting him and he reached for it hurriedly, frowning and making Ric strain against his will. No good news could come at four in the morning and something told him that this time wouldn't be an exception.

"What is it?" Alaric asked quietly.

Damon cringed. "Text message from Liz. Damn it!" Angrily, he clutched the phone so tight in his hand that it was a miracle that it didn't break. "They found another body in the alley behind the mall."

"A vampire?"

"What do you think?" Damon's scoff was bitter and snarky, and it was a poor cover for his anger. "Apparently, there are only two ways to die in this town – from a natural cause or being killed by a vampire. Which, of course, makes me feel so safe." He pushed some buttons and then lifted the phone up to his ear. "Liz? It's Damon, I've got a message… No, no, don't worry, I wasn't sleeping." He paused to listen to the reply. "Sure, I'll be right there."

* * *

Jenna made her way downstairs humming something under her breath and paused before the mirror in the hall to adjust her scarf, and then turned around, puzzled, when she caught a reflection of Elena rummaging through the box that stood on the dining table. Jenna spotted another one on the floor at Elena's feet, and one more – by the glass door that led to the back yard.

Curious, she slung her bag over the staircase pole and went to the dining room. "Elena, what are you doing?"

"Oh, hey," Elena gave her a quick look. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Yeah, I was going to pick your dad's car – aka the only thing standing between us and public transport – from the shop. They wanted to change something in it, just to be safe," She explained. "So, what's with the boxes?"

"The infamous Gilbert legacy." They exchanged an understanding look. "Jeremy told me that Uncle John mentioned at some point that Jonathan Gilbert left _several_ journals and I was wondering if I could have a look at them."

"Any luck?" Jenna poked her nose into the box.

"Nope, not yet." Elena looked thoughtfully at the boxes on the floor. "The stuff from 1800s is mixed here with the things that appeared later, it's a total mess but… So far I only found some notes, of old photographs, a bunch letters but there's nothing in there about…" she trailed off.

"The vampires," Jenna finished under her breath. "Maybe the whole conspiracy thing was too serious to write about them?"

"I wish they weren't that secretive." Elena sighed, "Is that all that was left from dad concerning family history?" She asked.

"All that I'm aware of, I'm afraid." Jenna replied. "I'd tell you to ask your Uncle but hey, why would I be so cruel?" She chewed on her lower lip for a moment then. "Unless…"

"Unless?" Elena echoed shooting her brows up.

"There are some boxes up in the attic, mostly your mom's. You know, the things that she didn't know what to do with but didn't want to throw away either." She smiled on a small shrug. "I'm not sure because I never got to go though them properly but maybe some of your dad's stuff is somewhere there, too. We can go and check it if you want."

"I thought you wanted to go and pick up the car," Elena reminded her.

"Well, not that it will go anywhere. And besides, I am kind of curious, too."

Upstairs, Jenna was the one to turn the knob and push the small door open making the hinges that hadn't been oiled for a long while let out a long squeal. She stepped inside the attic followed closely by Elena and took in the stacks of boxes, old furniture and Elena or Jeremy's rocking horse in the corner. Dust was dancing in the rays of the late afternoon sun streaming through small windows. The air was stuffy and it smelled like dust and wood and old things – the trademark scent that probably every attic had.

"Wow," Elena swept the room with her glance registering the details here and there. "I hadn't been here for quite a while." She picked up an old book lying on op on the nightstand with one missing leg and then put it right back.

"I planned to get everything sorted out here, you know, after… _everything_," Jenna said as she made her way across the attic, hear sneakers totally soundless on the hardwood floor covered with a thin later of dust. "Guess it's right about time to get started. Why do you need those journals anyway?" She looked at Elena over her shoulder.

"Honestly?"

"Spill it."

"I have an essay on Shakespeare's… _something_ to finish by Tuesday, or I am dead. And what I am doing now is called procrastination." She grimaced displaying how not happy she was wish herself. "Bun in the light of recent events I can't care less about Shakespeare. And besides, it makes sense to know as much as possible, not to mention that digging through the old stuff and – I must say it – awful handwriting is exactly my idea of ruining Saturday."

Jenna let out a short laugh. "That's what I thought." She took off her jacket and hung it onto the door knob, and then rolled up the sleeves of her shirt up to the elbows to avoid massive catastrophe of dealing with the dust bunnies. "Let's start digging then."

"So, you and Mr. Saltzman…" Elena began nonchalantly in a couple of minutes.

"Don't start," Jenna shook her head chuckling. "Hey, look what I found."

"The journals?" Elena got up to her feet and looked at Jenna expectedly over the pile of old books.

"Nope, your baby dress." Jenna waved a piece of pink and lace cuteness in the air. "Isn't it adorable?"

"Don't change the subject," Elena pointed a finger at her reproachfully. "I've been almost dying to ask you for almost two days. Don't try to wiggle out of it now."

Jenna folded the dress carefully and put it back into the box taking her time. That was something she was almost as clueless about as Elena.

"It's… complicated," she said at last.

"He's a good guy," Elena pointed out shrugging as if it wasn't obvious to Jenna, or everyone else speaking of that.

"Yeah, and that's the part of _complicated_ as well." Jenna went down to her knees and swept the dust off of yet another box before opening it. "Me and good guys… it doesn't really work." Her voice was a little uncertain here but she hoped she managed to joke it off.

"And he seems to really care about you, too."

"Thanks for making it easier," she snorted and then couldn't help but smile at the thought of Ric. She was getting pathetic. "He has a huge baggage. And…I am not sure he knows what he wants, or where he stands, or where this all can lead, and there are so many issues. And it is sort of like walking on thin ice." Elena gave her a skeptical look poking from behind the dresser that stood between them. "So, now I am trying to live one day at a time and don't rush anything."

"That bad, huh?"

"Oh yeah. The problem is, I don't quite see myself in the picture just yet, but… I don't want to screw it up so much. And now that we're having a girl talk, how are things going between you and Stefan?"

Elena closed the box she was checking, got to her feet and walked up to an old bookshelf stacked with all sorts of stuff from books, to piles of old magazines tied with the rope, to a couple of obviously not functioning reading lamps, to smaller boxes.

"Good," she looked down at Jenna. "I mean really good, and it feels… great. If a little weird."

"And… Damon?"

"Speaking of complicated and baggage," Elena chuckled. Absently, she picked a random book from the shelf that turned out to be some university medicine manual, probably one of her dad's books that he stopped using for one reason or another. She put it back and let her gaze travel along the titles of the rest of the row.

Jenna snickered behind her back, "Is that what Damon is? Stefan's baggage? Really?"

"Sometimes," Elena admitted and then turned around. "I don't mean it _that_ way, you know. He's a good guy," she said seriously, "And it is true, but he spends so much time and puts so much effort into being a total jackass that the feeling and caring and compassionate part of him blurs, and this is usually when the problems begin."

One of Jenna's brows quirked up. "Well, I'm glad you guys know how to entertain yourselves."

"It's all about fun," Elena drawled. "Hey, look what I found. Is that you and mom?"

She came up to Jenna with an old faded photograph with an awkwardly-looking teen with two long braids holding a doll-like little girl with a huge pink bow in light hair in her hands and handed it to her aunt. Jenna smiled softly, totally in spite of herself at the sight of the image, and a warm feeling filled her stomach and spread all over her body. The picture was taken in the back yard of the house where they lived until she turned ten or twelve, and she didn't remember the moment, of course. But then again, she was too young to care, perhaps.

"Wow, I hadn't seen this one in years, thought it was long lost."

"It got stuck between the books," Elena waved indefinitely towards the shelf, then looked over Jenna's shoulder at the photo once again taking in her resemblance with Miranda Gilbert that she used to take for granted until she found out that it was just a coincidence, and for some reason it started to matter even more. "You were a cute chubby kid."

"Thanks, that's exactly a compliment any woman would die for."

"Can I take it?"

"Only if you promise that no one else is going to see it." She returned the photograph to Elena. "And I guess it's your turn to see what I found."

"What is it?"

Jenna lowered herself on the floor and crossed her legs Indian style. Reached out to open yet another dusty box and then looked up at Elena.

"Check this one out. These look old enough to be someone's journals."

And they booth peered inside where several leather-bound books lay among neatly folded sheets of yellowish paper, some scrolls and what looked like ink-pot and other XIX century pieces of stationery.

Elena sat down on the floor beside her and they both reached into the box simultaneously.

Jenna let her fingers travel along the leather cover of a small book feeling its dry and somewhat rough texture. It felt warm, probably because the temperature in the attic was nearing that of the sauna. It looked old, too. Had it been made in the last 50 years, it would probably look different, she decided. It would be a bit more finely done and the stitches on the spine holding the pages together would also be less crude but for something created in 1860s it looked pretty elegant, delicate even, especially the family crest etched on the front cover.

She opened it slowly, careful not to damage it by accident. On the first page in the bottom right corner were the words that said: Jonathan Gilbert, 1862.

Apparently, Elena saw something similar in the journal she was holding because she lifted her head, and Jenna let her lips form into a smile: "Bingo!"

"It's amazing," Elena shook her head in bewilderment. "How many of them are here? Six? Seven?"

"Nine, with this one." Jenna put the journal she examined on top of the others. "Enough to keep us up at night for a couple of months, assuming that Jonathan Gilbert's imagination was legendary. I wonder how often he used it for writing all of this."

"Why do you think dad kept them here and not with the other stuff downstairs?"

"I don't know, Elena. Maybe he just forgot about this box. Or on contrary wanted to move all of them up here at some point, but then never got to do it."

"Yeah, I guess so." Elena swept the contents of the box with her glance. "But this… this is a real treasure trove."

"I can imagine that. But don't let it lead too far into the land of fairy tales," Jenna warned her with a laugh. "What is it?" She asked when she saw Elena looking a something behind her back and barely paying any attention.

"Have you seen it?" Elena put the journal she was studying back into the box too and then got up and walked between the stacks and piles of stuff to the window that was facing the street, its glass slightly stained after the rain.

"What?" Jenna rose up and followed her, curious.

She looked outside over Elena's shoulder but the street was empty, only the tree branches swayed in light afternoon breeze.

"A crow," Elena said making Jenna freeze in her spot. "It was sitting right here," she pointed at the nearest branch that was practically touching the window, "and looking at us like—like it knew what we were doing. It was a little creepy." She shook her head, clearly embarrassed and absolutely oblivious to her aunt's state. "Which sounds nuts, so… never mind."

She went away then but Jenna hesitated by the window for another moment against her will and took her time to see as much of the street as she possibly could to make sure the crow wasn't there. Which probably was even crazier than Elena's assumption that it watched them. God knew why it bothered her so much. Mystic Falls never was short of crows as far as she remembered but somehow Elena spotting one now wasn't exactly reassuring.

"What do you think?" Elena asked her from behind.

Jenna turned around realizing that she totally missed the beginning of the conversation. "Sorry?"

"I asked if you mind me checking mom's stuff here," Elena repeated. "You okay?" She asked watching Jenna closely.

"Sure," Jenna called back lightly and suppressed a wish to look out the window again, just to make sure, "Want to help my clean out this mess? You're very welcome. And I really should go and pick the car now." She took a look at her watch as she made her way to the door. Stopped then with her hand on the door knob. "Oh, and, Elena-"

"Mm?" Elena lifter her eyes to her aunt's face.

"I'll be late for dinner perhaps. Your Uncle is totally against selling your dad's office but we agreed on at least renting it to someone because it stands empty for months already. There's no need in it." She hoped her frustration wasn't obvious. Okay, John had a point, or at least she accepted his right to express his opinion on the matter. She knew he could come here and do what he thought was an appropriate thing to do when it came to the family property but then again, he wasn't here all these months only limiting his involvement with Jeremy and Elena to random phone calls every now and then, and it was more than irritating to know that even assuming him staying away from the family in general she still was dependent on his decisions, especially when she didn't agree with them. "Anyway, I had a call this morning from someone who was interested, so I am going to pick up the car first and then go right there to show it."

"Okay," Elena nodded.

Jenna opened the door and shivered a little when a rather cool air washed over her body. She stepped outside and then poked her head back in for a moment. "Don't let yourself get buried in the dust, okay?"

Elena's gaze remained on the contents of the box as she kept rummaging through its contents. "Uh-huh," she called back distractedly. "Sure."

The phone call caught Jenna when she was driving from the car shop to her brother-in-law's office. Keeping her eyes on the road she reached for the phone and pressed the answer button almost sure that it was a woman interested in Grayson's office calling since Jenna was running a little late because of some paperwork and explanations of a mechanic. It wasn't her though.

"_Hey_," she heard and the voice made her stomach flutter bringing the _high-school-girl-after-prom_ feeling back again.

"Ric," she smiled. "Hi."

There were some muffled voices on his end of the line followed by his, "_Um, look, I thought I'd stop by later today but it looks like I am getting a little stuck up here,_" and he did sound regretful.

"Oh, okay," she hoped she didn't let the disappointment be too obvious. "I'm getting a little held up anyway. Everything okay?"

"_Yeah, just some… stuff. Founder's Day and all. At some point it will be over, right?_" There was some helpless desperation in his voice that made her smile.

"Well, you can hope," she scoffed. "They won't let you go off the hook easily though."

"_Now, that's inspiring_."

Someone shouted something at someone else interrupting them both for a moment, and the she heart the door close as he probably left the room, and the noise was left behind. His footsteps echoed in the empty corridor.

"_Okay, how about this?_" Ric started. "_Dinner, tomorrow night, at my place. Just you and me. I'm a terrible cook but pizza is always an option._"

Jenna couldn't help but laugh at this. "Deal."

"_I'll call you later, okay?_"

"I'll be home in about an hour," she turned to the right and slowed down, waited for traffic light to change and then crossed the road and parked.

"_Busy day?_"

"A little," she admitted. "Got to meet someone now. Ric?"

"_Mm?_"

She hesitated debating saying something awkward and stupid, like _I miss you, _or_ I wish we didn't have to wait till tomorrow, _or something else similarly ridiculous. Instead, she offered brightly, "The movie is on me."

Jenna pulled up right in front of the entrance to Grayson's office and killed the engine. The dusk started to creep in but the streetlamps were already on which let her look up and down the street and see that no one was waiting for her. She checked the time and sighed with relief. Only five minutes late, so chances were, the person she was supposed to meet was getting a little late as well, which of could was good for her.

She hopped out of the car and crossed the pavement. Took her time to search for the keys in her bag and then pushed the door open and stepped in groping around the wall for the switch to bring several lamps to life. The office was empty for the most part, except for a few pieces of furniture Jenna honestly didn't know what to do with, everything that reflected personality of Grayson Gilbert was long gone and for some reason it made the place look oddly unfamiliar and bleak.

Jenna pushed back the memories of how it used to look only a few months ago. It smelled like dust and hardwood, probably because of the redwood panels on the walls and tall counter, its polished surface, even covered with a thin layer of dust, glinting in the light. Her gaze traveled along the rails of the winding stairs that led to the second floor area – where Grayson's personal office was, and she fought to see him in her mind sitting there at his desk working in the light of the reading lamp. The image was blurred and unfocused, especially now that she knew what the office looked like at the moment – empty, its huge hardwood desk removed and the blinds drawn down and shut.

It was a good place, huge and convenient for almost any kind of business, its location practically in the center of the town making it a tasty morsel. And still… some part of her felt sad as if selling Grayson's office – or even renting it to someone else – was yet another step in the direction of moving on, and she just wasn't ready yet. Not really. Holding on to the past, to the memories she had – it felt safer and more comfortable. Stubbornly, she kept struggling with the changes although it was pretty much like walking against the wind. No one could turn the wind around.

For a moment she debated opening the windows to let some fresh air in but then a light rap on the door came from behind, distracting her.

"Anyone here?" The voice called out.

Jenna shook off her thoughts and put on a smile on her face. Calm and composed, here you go! She walked back into the main area.

"Hi, are you Melissa? Come in."

* * *

Nothing about Damon indicated hearing the door open and close behind his back, and the footsteps that followed across the hall and into the living room where he stood by the trolley with a selection of bottles and glasses. Instead, he tossed several ice cubes into the rounded glass and then filled it with amber bitter-smelling liquid letting the scent flow into the air. Gave the glass a small shake for ice and bourbon to mix and then took a small sip savoring the taste in his mouth before swallowing the liquid that burned the back of his throat.

"Damon," there was no surprise or irritation in Isobel's voice when she finally spotted him, just an acknowledgement of the fact.

He turned slowly – just in time to see her put her small black purse onto the couch beside huge fireplace, and then lifted his glad as if toasting to her before taking another small sip.

"You always had a good taste for alcohol," he said with what he hoped sounded like admiration and observed a collection of bottles again.

"And men," she added agreeing with the alcohol part.

"And houses," Damon's gaze traveled around the living room. "This one looks even bigger," he stated the obvious but Isobel's lips curved into a small proud smile nonetheless. "Why did you move?"

"To make looking for me a challenge," she replied nonchalantly but her eyebrows lifted up a little enunciating her point. "And, this one has a jacuzzi-pool, which is heaven on earth, believe me. I couldn't resist."

"I bet," he drawled. "But I probably should have been a little more specific in my question – why are you still here, in Mystic Falls?"

She flopped down onto the elegant Victorian armchair and crossed her legs, and for some reason it looked so graceful that Damon couldn't help but give her a point for that. He always thought she was beautiful but turning into a vampire made her practically exquisite, which of course couldn't escape his attention. Whatever qualities amplified in her, charm definitely was one of them.

Isobel cocked her head slightly watching him with calm amusement and asked, "Why does everyone keep asking me that?"

"Define _everyone_?" Damon's brows shot up.

"First Ric, then you, and I am sure that if I come across someone else in the nearest future, it would be exactly what I'd hear first."

"Someone like John Gilbert?" He prompted helpfully.

Isobel smirked. "I guess the question about how you found me can be skipped just like the one about why I didn't leave," she supposed.

"Right. Let's go straight to the point," Damon agreed easily.

"Which is-?"

"I wanted to talk to you about Katherine."

"What about her?"

"Are you in touch with her?"

"I am not her new BFF if that's what you want to know," she shrugged. "But yes, we are in touch, more or less." She rose to her feet and walked up to the trolley to pour a drink for herself. Absently, Damon noted that she chose scotch.

"Do you know where she is?"

She hesitated for a moment before turning to face him. "Maybe."

Damon stepped closer to her barely leaving any distance between the two of them. Watched her closely from above for a while. "Will you tell me?"

Isobel returned a long speculative look, let her brows come together thoughtfully as if she was considering something. She let Damon lean even closer to all but touch her lips with his and the span on her heels and walked across the living room and to the high floor-to-ceiling glass doors that led to the terrace which faced the garden and a pool.

"I'm sorry, Damon, but I'm not sure she'd appreciate it," she said at last almost with regret.

In a blink of a moment he was standing right before her. "I can be convincing."

Isobel took her time to study the cubes of ice in her glass and then let a short laugh escape her lips. "Katherine can be very convincing too, you know?" She all but whispered with a small smile that made Damon chuckle.

"Oh, believe me, I am well aware of it."

"Why are you looking for her anyway?" Isobel inquired as her eyes narrowed a little questioningly. "You already have another love interest. Which I do not appreciate and you know it, so it makes me wonder… Do you want to find Katherine for Katherine, or does it have something to do with Elena?" And truth be told, it didn't sound much like a question. There was some veiled assuredness behind her fake-wondering voice, some amusement even. And Damon knew that she was aware of the truth regardless of what he could say, and he almost hated her for it.

Yet, he did his best to keep his trademark smirk intact. "Does it make any difference?"

"Well, not for me of course. But you know Katherine, so you tell me what the difference is," she responded mimicking the tone of his voice. "She doesn't like to be used, and she doesn't like to be the second."

"Which I can shoot right back at her, of course," Damon scoffed.

"Don't be pathetic," Isobel skirted around him. "Being a puppy dog, whether for Katherine or Elena, doesn't suit you."

Damon scolded but Isobel had her back to him and didn't have a chance to appreciate the effort.

He put his glass on a coffee table then and the next moment Isobel was at the wall and he was pressing her against it with his body, their eyes flaring but beside that nothing showed true mood of the situation.

"Really, Isobel, you have the device. Why didn't you leave the town the moment you got it?" He whispered in a barely audible voice deliberately keeping his eyes on her lips.

She let him enjoy the moment before answering in the same intimate half-whisper, "I, for one thing, is no one's puppy-dog."

"And this is supposed to mean what?" His gaze fixed on her eyes again.

"Who said I came here only for a device? But…" she put her finger on his lips when Damon opened his mouth to ask yet another question she wasn't intended to answer silencing him, "the real reason is absolutely none of your business."

The doorbell rang in the hall echoing under high ceilings. Slowly, the both turned.

"Waiting for a company?" Damon asked lazily.

"No, the company usually just shows up," she pushed him away and walked out of the living room.

Damon beat her at the door though laying his hand on the knob a moment before Isobel reached for it.

"No, no, let me," he grinned at her over his shoulder. "I have to go anyway." Damon pulled the door open before she could protest or say anything at all, and chose not to express fake surprise at the sight of John Gilbert on the doorstep. "John! You're practically everywhere! But then, so am I." Damon patted Elena's Uncle-slash-Dad on the shoulder on his way out. "I'll see you around!"

* * *

In the evening Jenna was sitting on her bed, her legs crossed and a book she wanted to go through with the bookmarked pages lying beside her, totally forgotten. She couldn't care less at the moment, all her attention was focused on two small notes that lay on the colorful bedspread before her as she tried to figure out the reason of a nudging feeling they caused.

Why wouldn't she just throw them away? That was the question she didn't have an answer to. She wanted to do it, and even nearly done it a couple of hours ago, or at least she retrieved them from the upper drawer of her nightstand with that aim in the first place. But something stopped her and instead of sending them right into the trash bin, Jenna took her time to examine them once again, for what seemed to be a hundredth of time already.

And why was she bothered so much, again? She didn't know that either but something just didn't click. She knew that getting rid of the cards and throwing the whole thing out of her mind was the best idea. And the only thing standing between it and her current position was an explanation. She needed it – simple and logical. Without it she couldn't move on. Without it throwing the cars away wouldn't change anything.

A knock on the door startled her, and Jenna snapped her head up grabbing the book and shoving the postcards under the pillow hurriedly a moment before Elena poked her head into the room.

"You here?"

"Yeah, trying to study," Jenna waved the book in the air and made a funny face. "Sort of." She put it aside then. "Come in, give me an excuse to get distracted."

Smirking, Elena closed the door behind her back and then flopped onto the edge of Jenna's bed, one leg tucked beneath her. "No guilt?"

"Plenty," Jenna let out a dramatic sigh. "But what the hell? How is digging through the old stuff going? Found anything worth suffocating in the dust?"

"Actually, yes. Look." And Elena unfolded a piece of clothing she held in her hand – light-green, silk and lace, it fell on the bedspread in gentle waves almost glowing in the light of the reading lamp, silvery trimming on the strapless top catching and reflecting it making it sparkle and wink at them teasingly. "I think it's pretty."

"Oh, my God," Jenna breathed out in awe. "My prom dress. Where did you get it?"

"In one of the boxes," automatically, Elena looked up to the ceiling and then back at Jenna, a little puzzled. "I didn't know it was yours. I thought it was mom's, actually."

Jenna's fingers ran gently along the cool silk mass, soft and smooth, and her lips curved into a smile as the memories flooded into her mind.

"I didn't know Miranda kept it," she raised her head and explained. "She was the one who helped me choose it in the first place. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it." She paused. "Don't you remember?"

"No," Elena frowned. "Should I?"

"We took you with us. Shopping, girl stuff, you know? You weren't really excited and whined about wanting to have some ice-cream for hours," Jenna laughed. "I thought I'd strangle you."

"Gee, thanks, Jenna."

"It happened a few months before Scumfell ruined everything." She grimaced. "I never got to wear it. It's… a bit strange to see it now."

Silence fell between them for a while, before Elena spoke in a soft voice, "It's beautiful."

"Your mother had a good taste, regarding everything." Jenna took the dress from Elena to give it a closer look, let her gaze travel around capturing the details and then lowered it down again. "She never liked Logan. I should have listened to her." She chuckled. "Good thing is that I heard that prom sucked, and this jerk didn't have a date."

"Logan?"

"I almost wish I could have been there to see it," her smirk was a bit vengeful. "Oh, well." Jenna folded the dress. "We don't always get what we want, right?"

Elena fell backwards, a mass of her dark hair making a halo around her head. For a while she just lay studying the ceiling. "And we never listen, too." She rolled onto her side then and propped her head up on her hand. "Would you like to have it?" Her eyes darter towards the dress and then went up to Jenna's face again.

"Mm, no. Not really." Jenna shook her head after a short moment of consideration. "It's nice to know that Miranda had it all this time though. She never got tired of saying that me leaving Mystic Falls was a huge mistake. I guess she secretly hoped I'd change my mind and come back."

"Well, you ended up here anyway," Elena pointed out, both of them choosing to ignore a reason of it.

"Do you think it's a fate?" Jenna asked her with mock seriousness.

Elena hesitated, her expression mimicking her aunt's. "Yeah, I think so. Fate brought you and a mysterious history teacher to Mystic Falls. Sounds like-"

"A very cheap scenario," Jenna finished, giggling.

"A very interesting beginning, I wanted to say." Elena gave her a long meaningful look. "I'm going to put it away then." She got up from the bed. The ring of the doorbell downstairs made them both turn. "It must be Stefan," Elena explained before Jenna asked anything. "I invited him for dinner. Hope it's okay."

"Sure, have fun," Jenna said automatically, then paused and gave Elena a pointed look. "I trust you to behave."

Elena snorted. "Between us, Aunt Jenna, it wasn't me who fled the town because of the guy," she reminded walking to the door.

"Right. And… Elena?"

"What?"

She hesitated for a moment searching for the words, and then asked, "When you're done with these journals, can I have a look?"

"Sure." Elena' brows furrowed all the same though. "What do you ant to find?"

Jenna chewed on her lower lip. "I'm not sure yet," she said after a little while. "Guess I'll know when I actually find it."

* * *

It was cold. So cold that she could feel chill go right through her flesh and touch her bones. She couldn't see where she was at first. The place was too dark and it smelled like earth and stone, like a cellar or a cave. Or a tomb, Jenna thought all of a sudden feeling the uncontrolled fear growing inside of her.

She turned around slowly straining her eyes to see something – _anything_, and registered somewhat absently that the floor was cold smooth beneath her feet. Stone, or marble maybe, she couldn't say. Breath hitched in her throat and she swallowed hard overwhelmed by the urge to get out of there, practically suffocating with panic.

With her arms stretched before her, Jenna made several unsure steps forward until her fingers brushed against smooth stone wall. She walked along it keeping her hand on the cool surface not to lose her track again. Several times she came across thin straight cracks that probably meant that the wall was made of some blocks.

It was cold fresh air that touched her face that told her that she reached some sort of a opening a moment before her fingers touched metal bars of a gate or something like that. Jenna paused for a moment, half-surprised and half-disbelieving that she managed to get out, or was close to it at least, and then pushed it. The gate opened heavily with a piercing creak that made her pause and cringe involuntarily. In the darkness outside she heard the sound of many flapping wings as if the sound spooked a flock of birds and they took off on an instant.

The gate got stuck, still half-closed, and Jenna squeezed outside feeling a lot better by the second if only because she could breathe normally now that she didn't feel trapped anymore.

Outside, the darkness wasn't as thick. Huge white disk of a full moon was emerging from behind the clouds and then hiding again as if teasing her with brief moments of clarity. Jenna paused, her fingers flexed on the bar. She could feel cold wet grass beneath her feet and before her were crosses and headstones scattered between old thick trees, their branches hanging low, practically touching said gravestones as they swayed in the wind.

How did she get here?

Curious, Jenna turned around to have a look at what she had just left. It was a marble mausoleum of some sort, gray and pink veins distinctive on pale walls even in the ghostly light cast by the moon. It wasn't high, too. When she was inside, her head was probably almost touching the ceiling. No wonder she had this claustrophobic feeling. The gate that she was still holding onto was old, its paint started to peel off because of age and weather.

With her mind still unable to wrap around what was going on, Jenna let her gaze travel around the exterior of the mausoleum until it stopped on the wall to the right from the entrance where the list of names of deceased was engraved, some really old and somewhat faded, others new and clear.

Eleven names, Jenna counted. Ten of them Gilberts, except for the last one. Her eyes lingered on Grayson Gilbert and Miranda Sommers Gilbert for a moment. Why were they here? She knew they were buried. She was the one to pick the headstone for them. Why would their names be engraved here? And then she looked down, and forgot about her sister and brother-in-law completely.

_Jenna Sommers_ was the last name on the list.

Her heart skipped a beat and she took a small step back letting go off the iron gate at last. A cloud came over the moon once again plunging everything into the darkness and when it was gone at last, Jenna's name seemed to start all but glow in the pale light.

She backed off stumbling on the uneven ground and nearly fell but her hand grasped a century-old cross on instinct to help her keep her balance.

And then, out of nowhere, a crow appeared. It made a circle around the mausoleum and then finally landed onto the half-open gate. Folded its wings and then stared at Jenna, its black eye piercing through her as moonlight played on its pitch black feathers. For a long while they just watched each other in silence, motionless.

There was some movement that Jenna caught out of the corner of her eye and reluctantly she shifted her gaze to the marble wall where the names became red as something thick and sticky started to drip from thin cracks and trickle down the while surface to the glass that looked almost black. Horrified, Jenna couldn't tear her eyes off of that blood-chilling picture. Her knees gone weak but somehow she forced herself to start moving. After another quick glance at the crow, Jenna span around and started to run…

She woke up on an instant and peered at the white ceiling crossed with dark shadows cast by the branches of the tree that was growing right outside her window.

Jenna let out a long breath, closed her eyes and rubbed at her eyelids waiting for her heart to calm down before it actually jumped out of her chest.

God, what the hell was wrong with her and the nightmares lately? Why on earth couldn't she spend a night without risking to have a heart attack in her sleep? And where did all this blood come from? She tried to recall the details of her dream but it started to blur and fade in her mind as soon as she woke up leaving her terrified for no reason.

It was only then that she heard this sound, barely audible but still oddly loud in complete silence. Like… She froze. It sounded pretty much like feathers brushing against each other.

Her eyes snapped open, some part of her knowing what she was going to see even before her gaze focused.

A huge plump crow was sitting on the back of her bed watching Jenna with curiosity, its black eyes glinting as if winking at her, and its head kept tilting from side to side. But as soon as it spotted Jenna look back, it spread its wings that seemed to be unnaturally huge and took off aiming for Jenna, its beak and claws ready for attack.

And this was when Jenna started to scream…

**To be continued…

* * *

**

I know, not much Jalaric when it is supposed to be a Jalaric fic but it is kind of important for the plot and you'll have plenty in the next one, promise ;)

Reviews and comments are always highly appreciated :) Thanks for reading btw :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's note:** It's long again. I know. I'm sorry. I honestly tried to make it shorter, but in fact I even had to cut out some stuff and put it into the next chapter, otherwise this one would be almost twice longer. It's not my fault though, blame plot bunnies :) Wanted to add some juicy break-up but you'll have to wait I'm afraid. On the bright side - a lot of Jalaric in this one :)

Comments and reviews are always appreciated :)

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Jenna snapped out of the dream on an instant, gasping for air, and woke up at last.

Alarm clock on the nightstand informed her that it was a little past three in the morning, and she fell backwards onto the pillows trying to catch her breath and feeling completely drained and, in fact, more exhausted now than before she went to sleep. She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly counting in her mind in a poor attempt to come to her senses. Having a dream about having a dream about something bad and bloody yet again… it was a little too much for one night. Okay, it was a bit too much, period.

What the hell was going on?

And why couldn't it just let her go? She squeezed her eyes tight, fighting to stop hearing the flap of wings…. Until it occurred to her that it wasn't coming from her head. In fact, it was—

Purely on instinct, Jenna all but jumped up and scooted backwards pressing her back against the headboard of the bed as her eyes darted wildly around the room. It wasn't a dream, she did hear it for real this time.

As one of her hand was clutching the blanket so tight that her knuckles had gone white and keeping it up to her chin as though it could be an actual shield, she reached out for the reading lamp hoping wildly that the light would take everything away the way it was supposed to. It wasn't real, she kept telling herself. Damn it, it couldn't be.

And then she froze halfway through when he eyes locked on the window – the window that she knew she closed before going to bed. It was open now and a crow was sitting on the windowsill shifting from paw to paw and looking back at her with calm curiosity that made Jenna's blood run cold as she distractedly caught the sway of the curtains out of the corner of her eye. And she was _this_ close to having an honest to God heart attack.

Jenna didn't know for how long it lasted. She couldn't move and she couldn't breathe, terrified and shocked beyond imaginable, some part of her expecting the creature to attack her the way it did in her dreams. But then all of a sudden the crow turned around startling her, and took off disappearing in the night.

For a moment Jenna stayed glued to the spot, her head spinning and her heart pounding heavily, but then adrenaline rush threw her into action. She turned on the light, tossed her covers aside and hopped out of the bed. Crossed the room in two strides and shut the window locking it. Not that it helped a lot the previous time, but still. Closed the curtains then and backed away breathing hard as if after a long run, swallowed by déjà vu.

Panicking slightly, she looked around the room running her hand through her somewhat tangled strands nervously, and feeling that she was losing her mind. Well, she had no reason to think that she wasn't!

In the end her gaze rested on her mobile phone that lay on the dresser. She walked up to it and grabbed it hastily hitting the quick dial button, not quite thinking anymore, only knowing that she'd get nuts if she didn't do something. Listening to the rings on the other end of the line was almost soothing. He picked up after the fifths one.

"Ric? Can you come now, please?"

* * *

Slowly, persistent shrilling made its way to Alaric's ears and it took him a moment or two to register it and realize that it was his phone that he left lying on the nightstand that was trying to ruin his sleep, and, as a matter of fact, succeeding in it, too.

He groaned in protest and debated ignoring it but after yet another ring reached out and groped blindly for it not bothering to open his eyes, or even wake up properly, speaking of that.

If it was Damon, he thought with growing frustration, he was going to kill him. No kidding, he was going to find a stake, make it sharp as a knife, hunt down the damned vampire and draw it through his heart without so much as a second thought. Just like that, no regrets and no mercy this time. Damon was overstepping all boundaries now, and there was limit even to Ric's patience.

It wasn't Damon though, to Alaric's endless surprise, and at first he didn't even recognize the voice being 100% sure he knew who he was going to hear.

And then he was wide awake in just one moment when he realized that it was Jenna.

A cold hand of fear clutched his insides and squeezed them tight as he fought to hear what she was saying past the rush of blood in his ears. For one thing, she would never call him in the middle of the night simply to have a small talk or because of something else ridiculous, and it meant that something must have happened. Something bad – if only because he stopped expecting good news in the middle of the night a long time ago.

Ric wanted to ask what was going on but she already disconnected, and he only managed to get that she wanted him to come. A thought about calling her back crossed his mind but then it started to seem like wasting precious time, so instead he threw away the blankets and all but fell out of the bed tripping in a hurry. He pulled on his jeans, grabbed his hoody and pulled it over his head on his way out, his mobile clutched in his hand.

With the images of the worst possible things happening at the Gilberts' from the fire to serial killer who broke into the house to even worse ones flashing before his eyes, Ric sped along the streets of Mystic falls breaking traffic rules and regretting that his car had speed limit.

* * *

_And you're going to tell him what, exactly?_ Jenna asked herself as she sat on the steps in the hall downstairs dressed in her pajama sweatpants and tank top, and a somewhat oversized cardigan she pulled over it, her hands clasped together on her knees and her eyes locked on the door.

Ten minutes later and in the comfort of the light, the whole thing started to look less real and more absurd making her feel almost guilty for calling Alaric in the first place, with the only exception that it probably was the only thing that could have saved her sanity. She needed to grasp onto something solid and real. Something that was making sense and what actually mattered. Who else could she possible call?

She heard the screech of the tires against the asphalt outside and opened the door for him when he still was halfway to the porch, shivering in chilly air that wrapped her instantly.

His arms were around her as soon as he was inside, the door locked behind his back, and Jenna just held onto him tight waiting for her heartbeat to slow down, realizing if a little belatedly that until he showed up, she was on the verge of a nervous break-down. She breathed in his scent mixed with the smell of cold fresh air and let out a long sigh. His hoody felt cold against her body even through her tank top, and his grip on her was so strong that she could practically feel the beating of his heart against her chest, and Jenna marveled in the feeling listening to him whispering something soothing to her, the meaning of the words not as important as the voice they were said in.

"Shhhh, it's okay," Alaric breathed out holding her as tight as he could without actually hurting her, wishing to take as much of her as possible, and feeling her whole body shaking in his arms, from fear or something else, he didn't know, and honestly, he didn't care. Whatever it was that caused it, he wasn't going to let it get her. God, when did it happen anyway? When did he start caring _so_ much? "Everything is okay. Everything's going to be okay."

Eventually, Jenna let herself relax lulled into numb comfort by his warmth and the feeling of safety that he caused, her mind somewhat foggy. Felt him stroke her back absently and the world started to get shape again. Sort of.

Ric pulled back a little then, just enough to frame her face with his hands, push his fingers through her hair and keep her looking back at him as his gaze traveled around her face taking in everything from frightened eyes to a slightly trembling lower lip. If anything had happened to her… He felt sick at the thought. She seemed to be perfectly fine though, at least unharmed physically and he couldn't help but relax a little at the revelation.

His hair was rumpled from sleep and change, and Jenna's lips curved into a small smile at the sight of it, as well as his somewhat confused expression that replaced the worried one when the stress started to wear off.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Shh," she put her finger on his lips, her eyes darted towards the second floor area where Jeremy and Elena were supposed to be sleeping peacefully, the doors to their rooms closed and no sound coming from behind them.

Alaric followed her gaze noting that by the looks of it both Jeremy and Elena were fine and then looked at her once again. "Are you okay?" He asked, his voice softening by the second as his palm covered her cheek. "You're not hurt or anything?"

Jenna hesitated for a moment wondering if she should ask him to specify _okay_, and then shook her head a little reluctantly. "No, I'm fine."

"Thank God," he gathered her in his arms once again and swept as much of the first floor area over her shoulder as he could realizing if a little belatedly that he didn't even thought of taking vervain darts in a hurry and cursing himself in his mind for being so mindlessly reckless. There should be something in the car though. Some knives and stakes he kept in the trunk for the emergency situations but it was inexcusable all the same. He kissed the top of her head. "Now, what happened?"

_Aaand, here we are!_ Jenna wondered what were the chances to change the subject and wiggle out of conversation.

"I had a… um, bad dream," the end of the phrase came out in a whoosh of breath, her voice muffled. And yeah, being said out loud it sounded so much worse than she imagined.

Ric stilled, obviously prepared to hear anything but that. He took his time to process her words in his not entirely awake mind, and then pulled back to look down at her, his face a mask of disbelief.

"You – _what_?" He blinked.

"Well, if it is any consolation, it didn't sound any much better in my head either," she offered him a weak apologetic smile.

* * *

"Look, I know how it sounds," Jenna started five minutes later when Alaric put a cup of tea on the table before her and took a seat next to her, his own mug clutched between his palms. "And I'm sorry for dragging you here in the middle of the night, but I am not making it up, Ric." Yes, all of her fears sounded ridiculous, to say the least, and it wasn't exactly making her feel better.

"I never said you do," his smile was soft and reassuring when he took her hand in his.

"I just…" Jenna entwined their fingers trying to collect her thoughts together. With Ric sitting right there before her in his jogging hoody and with a light stubble on his cheeks, everything that happened before, all the things she's been scared of and everything she was thinking about – it all started to blur, moving into the shadows and letting the reality step in. "I freaked out." She looked down at their hands trying to follow the train of her own thought. "It wasn't a dream. I don't know what's going on but…" she hesitated and lifted her eyes knowing that despite her best efforts to stay composed, she looked and sounded pretty helpless. "I closed the window when I went to bed. I double checked it – what with the paranoia that I started having lately," her chuckle was rueful. "Then I had this dream about the cemetery and my name on the tombstone. I woke up in my dream and the damn crow attacked me." She took her lover lip between her teeth for a moment before going on, "And then I woke up for real and saw it sitting on the windowsill – of the window that was supposed to be closed." Well, yeah, she started to sound pretty miserable, too. "I know it doesn't make much sense but…" She paused. "It wasn't the first time. Um, not really."

Jenna looked expectedly at him.

But Alaric didn't smile and didn't laugh it off, and didn't say all those comforting meaningless words she half-expected to hear. Instead, he was frowning and the sight of his expression made her stomach clench uncomfortably. Now, that was frightening.

"Ric?"

"When did it start?" He asked and his voice sounded oddly dull, as if coming from the distance.

"I—I don't know," she rubbed her forehead. "A few days ago. Maybe a week and a half. I didn't think it was a big thing at first and didn't pay much attention."

"Wait," his frown deepened. "You mean, before-" he began when a muffled sound from the back yard followed by the rap on the glass double doors cut him off.

Alaric whipped his head around. Instinctively his hand flexed on her fingers and Jenna felt him go stiff momentarily.

"Stay here," he mouthed almost soundlessly letting go of her hand and lifting up cautiously, his every move slow and calculated as his mind jumped from one thing to another. Automatically, he checked how far the stairs and the front door were from the back door, and where the stand with knives stood on the counter near the sink. Reaching out for one was tempting—

But an irritated voice from behind the doors didn't let him finish the thought. "Stop whispering and tiptoeing, and open the bloody door, it's freezing out here."

Damon.

Jenna let out the breath she didn't even notice she was holding and sagged back into the chair as Ric marched to the door and swung it open.

"You can't feel cold," he told Damon as the vampire invited himself in.

"I can't get cold," Damon corrected him "Doesn't mean I can't feel it."

On the last glance outside, Alaric closed the door and made sure it was locked. He turned to Damon then. "What are you doing here?"

Damon took his time to study them both before answering. "I was… patrolling," and rolled his eyes when Alaric's brows lifted in surprise as he leaned against the table, his arms folded on the chest and his gaze still expecting. "And I saw you scaring off the squirrels by that speed race of yours. And I was a little bored-" Damon looked at them in turns again. "Hope I didn't interrupt anything?"

Ric snickered. "Thoughtful, huh?"

"You should see your faces. I feel like I am in a very bad movie," Damon drawled. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Jenna shrugged getting up to her feet. Tried to keep her face as blank as possible.

Damon gave her a speculative once-over, "Nice outfit," and was scolded for that. Twice. "Really, what's with the faces? It's almost four in the morning and you look like the end of the world downed upon us at midnight." He paused. "Look, if it is some sort of a weird and overly depressing date… well, judging by the looks of yours-"

"I had a bad dream, okay?" She cut him off and luckily for Damon her expression kept him from bursting out laughing. "Happy?"

One of Damon's brows quirked up in _Huh?_ "What?" He turned to Ric, then gave Jenna another _'okay-you're-nuts'_ look and peered at Alaric again, with obvious curiosity this time. "Really?"

Ric shrugged.

"You're unbelievable," the vampire rolled his eyes and headed to the door. "Seriously?" He shook his head. "I am never _ever_ going to be bothered again."

"Wait," Ric called out after him surprising all of them. Waited for Damon to turn and then approached Jenna who watched him with confusion. "Tell him," he said quietly.

"What?"

"Tell him," he repeated.

"Are you kidding?" No, he obviously wasn't. "Look, I don't-" she threw a quick glance at Damon who waited patiently, his hands tucked into the pockets of his black pants. "Oh, whatever," she muttered under her breath, and filled him in.

By the end of the story Damon looked neither amused, nor mocking. His brows were drawn together and everything about him seemed to be tense and on edge. Speaking of descriptions, Jenna would compare him to the hound that caught the trail of the fox and followed it to the hole, with the only exception that the fox escaped in the end and the hound was really pissed off now.

"Sounds familiar?" Alaric asked him when she was done. Absently, he ran his hand up and down her shoulder in a small soothing gesture.

Damon's face was dark. "Sounds like mind games."

Ric cursed under his breath.

"Mind – what?" Well, whatever it was, it didn't sound like anything good.

"We can creep into people's minds when you sleep," Damon explained to her after a short pause. "And mess with it." Which wasn't exactly comforting. Not even a little.

"But vervain-" Alaric started.

"Is not working in this case," Damon cut him off. "Vervain protects from compulsion, but this is different. In a sleep she can't be compelled to do anything-"

"_She_ is standing right here," Jenna reminded him, going all cranky all of a sudden. Not that she didn't have reasons. Like, starting from the one that Damon had just pointed out.

Damon turned to her. "I'm sorry, Jenna. _You_ cannot be compelled to forget anything, or jump out the window in your sleep, or whatever. But it's not nice to know that someone is lurking in your head, is it?"

Ric frowned. "Is there any way to stop it?"

"Nope, not really." Yes, Damon and his optimism, inspiring as always. "Not without killing the one who is doing it."

"But who would-" Jenna began and then all but choked on her own words when another realization downed on her. "Logan." Her eyes grew wide when the pieces of puzzle clicked together. Her gaze lingered on Damon's face for a while and then locked on Alaric's. "Logan's a vampire, right?" It was more of a statement than a question though. "He could be back and-"

"No," Ric didn't let her finish. He and Damon exchanged an uncertain look. As much as he hated this theory to fall to pieces, he knew it wasn't Logan Fell. "He's—he's dead." And yeah, up to this moment he somehow managed to escape discussing it. Jenna's face froze and Ric's throat had gone dry. He had to tell her the truth now, hadn't he? He owed her that. "I-"

"He tried to kidnap Caroline," Damon stepped in interrupting him and shrugged somewhat indifferently. "No one would ever let him get away with it."

"Oh, God," she whispered.

Logan was a first-rate jerk that pretty much ruined her life, and not once, and she had a few moments when she wanted to strangle him with her bare hands and, given a chance, she'd do it without so much as a second thought because God help her, but he deserved it. She had a couple of minutes of pure shock when she realized that her was not exactly human anymore at first, but… Honesty, she couldn't imagine him actually hurting anyone on purpose, or kidnapping, or… Dead? The fact that his persistence to get close to her when he suddenly returned to town was short-lived should have alarmed her perhaps. She should have known better than that, no? But it didn't. In fact she was happy he went off the radar and left her alone at last. And now it turned out that he was dead. Which was probably just as much as she could take for one time.

She wrapped her arms around her shoulders and shivered from the cold that kept growing inside of her, feeling Ric's hand go up to rest on the small of her back even though his eyes remained on Damon.

"But this crow – it wasn't just a coincidence? Or…" Jena hesitated searching for the words. "Did I see something at all? Or was it a hallucination of some sort? Like, a mirage?" And if the answer was yes, it what exactly what she needed to add to the list of things proving that she going crazy, she decided sourly.

"No, it was probably real." Damon shrugged. "We can, let's say, have pets." Not that it was making much sense, Jenna thought, but still. "We can… like, do the same mind thing with the animals and um, make them do what we want. Like, control their will. Like compulsion but from inside their heads."

"Cute," Ric muttered.

"Not without purpose f course," Damon beamed at him. "When we do it, we can sort of see through their eyes. Not exactly _see_ maybe, but associate the images that they see with our own perception. Something like that." He peered at Jenna. "In short – it was spying on you."

Jenna let out a short hysterical laugh. "Any other good news coming? Because I can't have enough of them today."

He gave her some time so that the information could sink in. "Did you notice anything strange lately? I don't know, anything different?"

"You're a vampire, Damon. Define _not_ strange." She huffed and then answered after a short consideration. "No, I don't think so. Just usual stuff. Nothing… extraordinary." Except that her entire life was _extraordinary_.

Silence fell then, interrupted only by the ticking of the clock on the mantelpiece and the sounds that any only house had, like the whistle of wind in the chimney or the creak of wood. The sounds that were so familiar and _normal_ that they seemed to be out of place.

"And this should probably be my exit," Damon said after a little while. "Especially now that I burned these frowns into your faces." He headed for the door.

Alaric let his hand hall from Jenna's back and crossed the kitchen catching up with him before he opened the door.

"Did you notice anything while… patrolling?" Ric asked in a low voice. Couldn't help but enunciate the last world. Funny how inventive he could be to stick close to a certain Gilbert without arising much suspicion.

"I wish," the vampire grimaced with disgust. "Someone out there is crafty enough to sneak around right before my nose," he snorted. "I'd give a lot to know who it is."

"Is there anything we _can_ do?"

"Catch, kill. Let's start with the crow," Damon offered enthusiastically. But he dropped the act almost immediately. "I'll see if I can track them down now that we know about their feathery friend."

Alaric looked over the shoulder at Jenna who picked their mugs from the table and went to put them in the sink, her expression somewhat distant and a little too concerned for his taste. His hands balled into fists involuntarily as everything inside of him started to boil at the thought that someone was tormenting her like that. Somehow, he was sure that if he was given a chance to put his hands on the one who was doing it right this moment, he'd rip them to pieces without a blink of an eye.

She was doing fine though, he had to give her that. Aside from expected reaction, she was handling it much better than most of people in her place would – which for some reason only made his wish to keep her away from it grow even stronger. Come to think of it, if it was up to him, she'd never have to deal with anything like that in the first place.

"I'll stay here tonight," he told Damon.

"And back to our earlier conversation," Damon made a meaningful pause.

At last, Ric turned to him. "If it is Isobel, I'm going to…" he huffed in frustration. "I don't know what I am going to do to her but she won't get away with it."

* * *

Next morning Jenna woke up to the sun beaming in her face and Alaric's soft even breath falling on her neck and tickling her skin. His arm was wrapped possessively around her waist keeping her close, and the weight of it felt like nothing else in the entire world. Not even fully awake, she felt her lips curve into a small smile as she buried her face into the pillow instinctively, not ready to let go of the moment. The events of the previous night seemed to be blurred and surreal, and the warmth of his body against her back was the only thing that actually mattered. Life sucked, but not without bright spots, that was for sure.

Jenna sighed letting her eyelids drift open slowly and felt him stir behind.

"I know you're awake," Ric mumbled sleepily into her ear before kissing her shoulder.

His arm was gone and Jenna rolled over in protest, scooting closer to him. Folded her arms on his chest and put her chin on them watching him somewhat coyly with a contemplative smile that played on her face. She studied his features taking in the smallest details from the creases in the corners of his eyes, to exquisite curve of his mouth, to glint in his blue eyes as her heartbeat accelerated a little, and decided that the man didn't have the slightest idea of how sexy he looked without even trying. Almost illegally sexy she'd even say, Jenna thought, because it very well kept her off the track from everything else.

"Morning," he smiled back at her and reached to push her hair off of her face and tuck it behind her ear, his voice a little hoarse from sleep.

"Morning," she leaned forward to kiss him.

"No more nightmares?" Alaric asked. His fingers remained on her cheek to stroke it absently as he searched her face for any sign of distress, and her skin tingled pleasantry under his touch.

She hated the question, though. The reality was making its return, practically tearing her out of that comfortable cocoon where only the two of them existed, although Jenna was not intended to give in to it that easily.

"Not that I had much time for them," she informed Ric giving him a long meaningful look and then let her eyes linger on his lips causing him to chuckle softly.

"Oh, really?" His brow creased.

"You can be distracting," she planted a few small kisses on his chest making her way up to his mouth.

He raked his hand through her wavy hair pulling her in for another kiss but his eyes were serious when he gave her a close look after that.

"I'll deal with it," he told Jenna, his voice thick with determination. "I promise."

Lord, he had no idea what he was doing to her. The last time she felt as silly as that was… well, never. "I know." Jenna bit his lower lip playfully making it clear that everything outside the two of them might as well go to hell for a little while longer. "And because of that I will even let you go to the shower first," finished in a whisper. "Maybe."

Alaric's laughter was soft and throaty when he rolled them both over trapping her beneath his body wrapped in the sweetness and warmth of hers. "How about you join me?"

"Mm, sounds good. I thought you'd never offer."

… When Jenna came downstairs dressed in plain blue jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt, with her hair still a little damp from the shower, the whole first floor area was filled with a smell of fresh coffee and what could possibly be qualified as food. Curious, she followed it and found Ric in the kitchen, standing by the stove where something sizzled on the flying pan looking… well, pretty much like he belonged.

She paused in the doorway, arms folded on her chest, and watched him speculatively for a little while. The ease and natural grace he was moving with were catching, and she couldn't help it. well, among other thing that attracted her so much.

"What are you doing?" Jenna asked at last letting the amusement in her voice slip.

He glanced at her over the shoulder, a boyish grin on his face. "You mind?"

"No, but I can get used to it." She pushed herself off of the wall laughing and finally walked into the dining room and then into the kitchen. "It smells delicious."

"Hm, can you please give me a plate?" Ric asked, and piled crunchy bacon onto it when she did. "Hope it's okay that I rummaged through your fridge."

"Be my guest," Jenna chuckled.

Someone stomped down the stairs, probably attracted by the smell as well, and Jenna had just enough time to put the plate onto the table when Jeremy poked his head inside, his hair still spiking out at odd angles after sleep.

"Wow, breakfast," he started looking at her but then noticed Alaric and faltered. "Good morning, Mr. Saltzman."

He gave Jenna a pointed look and opened his mouth to comment on it one way or another, to which she reacted with, "Don't!"

"Hey, man," Ric called back reaching for yet another plate. "Hungry?"

"Hell, yeah." Jeremy sniffed the air. "This, Aunt Jenna, is what real food smells like. Remember it."

She made a funny face at him, "Thanks, Jer."

"Did he move in?" He asked in a low voice leaning closer to her to make sure Alaric couldn't hear him. "'Cause it'd be cool if he did. I can already see my grades getting better by the end of the semester. He wouldn't let me fail, right?"

Jenna nudged him biting her lip not to laugh and shook her head. "Jeremy Gilbert, don't be so mean." And then they both mustered innocent smiles when they noticed Alaric watching them, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

He didn't say anything though, except for, "Hey, how about some eggs, Jeremy?"

"Sure!" He agreed with excitement, and then bent down and whispered into Jenna's ear, "I love him already," and barely missed her elbow aimed at his ribs. "That's a cool tat, Mr. Saltzman," he said noticing tattoo on Alaric's underarm, exposed now that he was wearing a dark-blue, short-sleeved t-shirt.

"Oh, thanks." Caught by surprise, Ric looked down at the intertwining of letters and symbols that formed intricate pattern. "That's, um… that's a reminder of wild youth, I guess," he chuckled.

"So, history teachers can have fun too, huh?"

"Thanks, man," Alaric snorted.

"Hey, Aunt Jenna, what do you think if I-"

"You turn 21 first," she stopped him, "and then we'll talk. Maybe." She pointed her finger at him enunciating her words. "Until then, feel free to forget about it."

"We'll talk about it," on a short laugh, Ric winked at him if a little conspiratorially.

"Don't encourage him," Jenna told him with reproach.

Still laughing, he turned coming practically face to face with her.

"Don't do anything embarrassing," Jeremy rolled his eyes as his made his way back to the table and sank onto one of the chairs before digging into his breakfast.

"Hey, what's all the-" Elena began appearing in the dining room and paused for only the barest of moments when her mind registered the whole picture before finishing, "noise about?" She opened hew mouth, closed it again, cleared her throat and smiled, "Mr. Saltzamn."

"Oh, hey, Elena," Ric beamed at her.

"Coffee," she breathed out with relief and went straight to the pot making big eyes at Jenna on the way. Fought to keep somewhat triumphant _'see? I knew it would end like that'_ smile back and failed.

Jenna shook her head in response, but then her eyes darted towards Alaric for a moment before returning Elena similar smile. She fished a pack of paper tissues from the cupboard and set it on the table second before Ric put a plate with omelet beside it and went to fetch some coffee for himself, his hand brushing against her arm casually, as if it was as natural as breathing arousing goose bumps on her flesh, and on impulse she turned to follow him with her gaze, which didn't escape Jeremy's attention and he let out a mixture of snort and chuckle muffled by chewing.

"What are you two doing up so early on Sunday anyway?" Jenna inquired then looking at Jeremy and Elena in turns.

"Going to spend the day with Anna," Jeremy mumbled around the mouthful of eggs, toast and bacon, and it took Jenna a moment to decipher the sounds. He swallowed visibly then, surprisingly without chocking, and added, "We wanted to work on some assignments and stuff." He shrugged. "Maybe just hang out then."

"Meeting with Caroline at Bonnie's," Elena responded. "Something about Founders Day nightmare… sorry, parade." She put her hands into the air, "I do not ask questions anymore, my task is to show up."

"On Sunday morning?" Jenna's brows lifter up almost to her hairline.

"Yep," both called back simultaneously.

Elena looked at her watch then. "Oh, I've gotta go. They'll kill me if I'm late."

"It's my phone," Jeremy took off right after her when his mobile started to ring in his room. Grabbed his plate though and grinned at Jenna, "I'll finish upstairs."

Jenna followed them both with a thoughtful gaze, her hands tucked into the pockets of her jeans. She turned to Ric then. "Did I miss something?"

"Coffee?" He supposed, his head inclined slightly to his shoulder.

She chuckled softly. "Right." She joined him at the kitchen isle where he stood leaning against it with his mug. "I'm glad you guys get along."

"I'm their teacher," he let out an amused snort. "They have to tiptoe around me. Let's see how they are going to like me when finals begin."

She giggled. "Watch your back then." She hesitated for a moment, torn between the urge to hold onto simple things – this morning, the two of them in the kitchen lit with warm autumn sun, the chirp of birds outside, the feeling of peace and safety that she knew was fake – and the reality that was pretty much unavoidable. Suppressed a sigh and looked into her mug as if expecting to see some sort of hint in her drink. "Ric?" Lifter her head to look at him then. "Last night Damon asked if there was anything… strange-" Met his gaze.

His smile fell momentarily, and Jenna felt him tense. "Was there?"

"Well, in fact… I don't know," she said honestly and if a little cautiously. Reached into the back pocket of her jeans and pulled out the postcards she spotted earlier while she was dressing. If it was nothing, if she was just lumping it all together, she wanted to hear it from him.

"What is it?" Ric frowned when Jenna put them onto the counter before them.

_I wish I knew!_

"This one," Jenna tapped her finger on one of the cards, "I found on the windowsill the night I had the first nightmare," she explained. "Right after I saw this crow sitting on the tree outside." He lifted his eyes to her face, and something resembling worry mixed with half-understanding flickered across his features.

"And the second one?" He prompted her in a voice that suddenly became hoarse.

"In the gloves compartment of my car the next morning after the car crash when I went there with this guy from insurance company."

Alaric put his mug aside and leaned against the counter twiddling the cards in his fingers as he studied them inside and out, just like she did so many times, his expression hard and not at all consoling. Jenna tried to guess his mood – something she never found difficult before – and failed this time.

She leaned in beside him and propped her chin on her hand. "Look, I don't even know if it has anything to do with what Damon told us about last night," she said uncertainly and took one of the cards form him.

"A bit too much for a coincidence, don't you think?" Ric watched her face hating himself for saying something like that.

"Yeah, as if I wasn't freaked out already," she breathed out – more to herself than to him – and short laughter that followed was more nervous than humorless.

"Jenna, can I take the car?" Elena walked into the kitchen making Ric swallow the words that nearly slipped out of his mouth.

"Yeah, sure," Jenna replied a little distractedly. "The keys are in my purse."

"Thanks," Elena nodded, but instead of walking away she paused, and then walked up to them, her eyes glued to the pieces of paper on the marble surface. "Where did you get those?"

"Why?" Jenna straightened up; some feeling, like a foreboding, crept in on her and she wondered ruefully what could possibly be wrong _this_ time.

After a short hesitation, Elena reached into her bag and retrieved a similar card. Gave it a long look and then put it down beside the other two. "I found it a few days ago on the windshield under the wiper," she said answering unasked questions. "Thought it was from Stefan but never got to ask. Honestly, I just forgot about it."

Alaric and Jenna exchanged a quick glance.

"What's going on?" Elena asked cautiously, as if she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer.

"Can I?" Jenna reached out for the card but paused with her fingers hovering above it.

"Sure. But seriously, Jenna, what is it?" Her gaze flickered to Ric but then returned to her aunt.

Jenna opened the card, read the single word written inside and then passed it over to Alaric not quite sure what to make of it. Okay, personal stuff – this she could get, except for the part where she was completely clueless about who was doing it and why, but why would Elena be involved? Then something clicked and she whipped her head around and peered at her niece.

"Wait, on the windshield of _my_ car?"

"Well, yeah," Elena watched Jenna let out a slow exhale. "Mr. Saltzman-" she began, obviously not expecting any explanation from her aunt anymore.

But Jenna snapped her head up before Ric had time to open his mouth. "It's nothing," she said to Elena in what she hoped was an easy light voice. Hesitated for a few seconds feverishly trying to come up with something decent. "Looks like I've got a secret admirer." Which was lame and she knew it, and she hated it, but there was no need to set panic just yet. Besides, it wasn't a lie, exactly.

"And not so secret one is not happy about it," Ric muttered making them both turn his way and smile.

Elena let out a sigh of relief then. "Are you serious?" She asked with unmasked curiosity.

Jenna forced out a crooked grimace of a grin, "Yeah. It's like high school all over again, nostalgia and all. Well, it's been a while since I had to deal with a stalker the last time, so it creeps me out a little. But it's nothing, really." She hoped she sounded convincing enough.

Elena studied her face somewhat suspiciously for a moment. Her eyes shifted to Ric then but even though his expression was a little concerned but it wasn't worried enough for her to start worrying, too.

"Okay then," she said if a little hesitantly. "I am really late already." She reached out for Jenna's hand and gave it a light squeeze. "You sure you're fine?"

"When wasn't I?" Jenna smiled. "Go, have fun! Just… be careful, okay? And don't stay late."

"I won't—"

"And if you notice anything… _unusual_, tell me." The definition of _usual_ got a little vague lately but obviously Elena understood what she meant.

"_Now_ you freak me out, Jenna," Elena backed out of the kitchen, smirking. "See you later!"

Jenna watched her leave and then let out a frustrated huff when the front door closed behind Elena. "I _hate_ lying to her," she groaned.

"Why not tell her the truth?"

"That there is another fanged psycho on the run wanting to rip my guts out? No, I can't." She turned to him knowing she looked and sounded pretty defeated but wasn't able to help it. "I can't."

"We'll deal with it, okay?" His voice was soothing. "We'll figure it out and deal with it." His phone beeped shortly announcing that new text message had arrived. "Oh, sorry, I have to-"

"Go ahead."

The message was short. _Call me_. From Damon. And Ric wondered with growing dread what else could possibly had happened over the few hours that passed since they last talked. He looked at Jenna who went to refill her mug out of the corner of his eye and then hit the dial button waiting patiently for Damon to pick up. Whatever the drama was this time, it would probably be better to deal with it sooner than later.

"_Where are you?_" Damon asked skipping the greeting.

"Where do you think I am, Damon?" Alaric snorted. And so did Jenna. Her back was till to him but she couldn't have missed his words.

"_Yeah, right,_" Damon scoffed. "_Anyway, get out of there and drag your ass to the boarding house._"

"What happened?" Alaric tensed, and saw Jenna turn to look him questioningly.

"_We've got a lead_." Ric's breath hitched in his throat when he heard the words. "_Another body was found in the woods, some hiker. Our guy got sloppy there, and left some traces. So I need you here with the magic compass in ten minutes so that we could do a day-time hunting when he can't run around in the sun._"

"Yeah, sure," Ric suppressed a growl of protest. No, really, how not cool was that anyway? "Wait, another body?"

"_Well, that's sort of inevitable, no?_" And on that Damon disconnected, his black humor somehow a little more disturbing this time than before but Ric couldn't exactly blame him. Clearly, the vampire was running out of patience, and a lot faster than he.

"What happened?" Jenna came up to him, expecting to hear about yet another disaster by the look of it, and Alaric felt a pang of guilt in his chest. The very idea of leaving seemed to be more of less unbearable. The idea of telling her about yet another killing was just impossible.

"I am so not looking forward to hiking," he let out a desperate growl. Everything felt like a vicious circle and there was no way to get out of it. Honestly, he was getting so tired of it all. And when did good healthy sleep without waking up every half an hour listening to everything that could be crawling in the darkness become so unimaginable?

"What?"

"Never mind. Just… stuff." He smiled down at her. "Eight o'clock. My place. Just like we planned. Okay?" And felt better when she smiled back. And then – even better than before when her smile became contriving. The wish to send Damon to hell and never get out of this house became almost overwhelming. "If I am a little late, the spare key is in the hallway under the pot with some palm _thing_."

"Be sure I'll find it," she promised somewhat mysteriously and he laughed before bending down to kiss her. "But really, what about the hiking?"

"I don't know yet," he shrugged. "Maybe we'll make a campfire, bake some potatoes. Tell scary stories. Of course they won't be as scary in the daylight as at night but still."

"I'm serious, Ric."

"Eight o'clock." He kissed her quickly again. "Don't be late."

Okay, fine, Jenna thought, maybe she didn't really want to know any of that anyway.

Something that Damon said at night bothered her but she couldn't remember what it was. And yet, the feeling that something was missing from the picture juts wouldn't let go hovering in the back of her mind like a black shadow clouding all the good things Jenna fought so hard to focus on. She was too stressed and too tired and just shocked to pay proper attention to everything that she heard a few hours ago and now she couldn't help but want to kick herself for being so damn mindless. She couldn't stop thinking about it now.

Her eyes fixed on the counter where the cards lay before Ric swept them all on the way out. She didn't say anything about it. All she actually wanted was to get rid of them one way or another, and she had to admit that she felt much better and a little less insane now that they talked about everything. Not that the things that she found out were optimistic in any way but at least she wasn't all alone in all that anymore. Wasn't it enough that she still was one on one with her thesis? Speaking of…

The train of her thought was interrupted by the sounded of the front door open and close, and then the footsteps followed along the corridor and a few second later John poked his head into the kitchen.

He sniffed the air and observed the plates with the leftovers that Jenna was covering with the cling film to put them in the fridge, obviously surprised, and asked, "What happened here?"

"Ric happened." She slammed the fridge door, picked a couple of grapes from the fruit bowl and walked out of the kitchen.

* * *

"So, how much does she hate me?" Damon asked Alaric as they were making their way through the woods. The day was sunny but chilly enough to make the walk not exactly pleasant, for a human at least. Dry leaves were crunching beneath their feet and Ric's breath was puffing out in small white clouds. "Say, on the scale from one to ten."

"Who?"

"Jenna."

"Does she have a reason? Except for you being vampire and having a thing for her niece. This, though, I hope she's not aware of."

Damon ignored the comment. "Well, you're here with me instead of being somewhere with her," he shrugged and then wiggle his eyebrows when turned to him. "So, how much?"

Ric scoffed. "Come and ask her." He gave the vampire a studying look then, and added as an afterthought, "Although I wouldn't if I were you. In this regard, twelve maybe. Why?"

"Well, trying to stay in the good graces of the Gilberts," Damon beamed at him.

"She's not exactly Gilbert," Alaric reminded him. "And speaking of which, what exactly am I doing here with you instead of being somewhere with her? You said there was a lead…"

"Yeah, about that," Damon stopped. "The dead guy… I came here when Liz called me. The town is a step away from uproar," he said in a grave cold voice. "And the Sheriff is a step away from the nervous breakdown."

"And you're obviously a step away from the Sherriff," Ric offered tucking his hands deeper into the pockets of his hoody which was as far from being appropriate for such kind of walk as possible.

Damon glared at him but ignored his words. "I found this by the body."

He reached into the pocket and fished a plain silver chain, a bit too short to be worn on the neck. A bracelet most likely. Nothing fancy, not too thick, not too thin, pretty much unisex. It felt cook against Ric's palm when he took it from Damon to examine it closely.

"So?"

"It wasn't the dead man's thing."

"How do you know?"

"It smells differently," Damon explained.

Alaric studied it again, more thoroughly this time but this was one of the things that were beyond his perception because he wasn't dead. It didn't mean that it wasn't any less fascinating though. In a way. "And you want me to do what, exactly?" He asked giving the chain back to Damon. "Sniff him down?"

"He cannot move in the sun the same way as in the dark. It's way easier to corner him wherever he's hiding now. He wouldn't be able to escape."

Well, he had the point, Alaric had to admit. "And why here?"

"Well, because it was probably the last place he'd been to before the sun came up," Damon explained patiently. "Did you take the compass?"

"Yeah."

"Well, take it out, I am going to scram, and let the search party begin."

His voice was a bit distracted though and Alaric gave him a long suspicious look. Followed Damon's gaze to the trees where he saw nothing at all, and then glanced back where he also saw only threes, mostly naked at this time of the year.

"What?" He asked at last in case it was something important.

"The smell." Damon swept as much he could take with his glance, his eyes narrowed as though he tried to peer through the trees. "So… strange."

"Strange, like-?"

"Oh, never mind. Um, you don't happen to have cuts or something, do you?"

"Cuts?" Alaric's brows shot up. "Now, I-" he pulled his hands out of the pockets, and as he did that, one of the postcards he took from Jenna fell out and landed onto the leaves at his feet, oddly white on the brown and grayish leaves.

Damon noticed it first. "What's this?" He bent down to pick it up, the crease between his brows deepening by the second.

"Um… Jenna's been getting them for a while. There's nothing in them but it's just… too much for being a coincidence." He retrieved the other two and demonstrated them to Damon. "I was going… I don't know. Guess, I wanted to try and make connection somehow."

Still looking weird, Damon opened it and grimaced. "It's blood."

"What?" Ric blinked, taken by surprise. "What do you-"

"It's not red ink." The vampire cut him off. "It's written in blood." Took other two cards from Alaric's hand. "Human. All different. And I bet all will match the blood of our victims, had we bothered to check."

"You sure?"

"As much as I hate it, I am."

* * *

It was an odd feeling, something Alaric thought he's never get used to, even if he tried real hard.

It took him more than two years to accept the fact that she was dead and gone forever. He'd been through the whole _shock-anger-disbelief-denial_ thing routine so many times going through their entire life together over and over and over again trying to recall every detail of the every moment that stuck in his head that it became a routine. He was living in the past grasping for it as if it was a matter of life and death. Losing it meant losing himself. He couldn't see himself living without her, couldn't imagine himself existing at all. It was so wrong, so unfair. She was gone and he was left all alone. His whole life stopped having any sense.

There were moments when Ric wanted to die so much that it was just overwhelming. It hurt so much that he wanted to scream in pain and fury. He wanted it all to stop. And yet, somehow he survived. He lived through it. He learned to breathe again without suffocating in agony. He got over her, sort of. He crossed the line and move on, or so he wanted to believe. It wasn't easy but no one said it would be.

But in the end, all the pain, and loss, and a feeling that the life was over – it blurred and faded when he found out that she wasn't dead. Well, not exactly. And all the things he'd gone through, all that hell he lived in – she didn't care about it. Alaric thought that losing her was the worst thing that could have happened to him. God, he was wrong. Finding out that she did it to him on purpose, that he meant so little to her – it hurt a million times worse.

And maybe because of that, seeing her was so strange. Some part of him was not ready to believe that it was true. Against better judgment, he wanted to think that he was wrong. That it couldn't have been real. All this time and all the things he convinced himself of – they stopped existing, and hell was back.

With the only exception that now he felt a lot more lost than before because none of what he did was making sense anymore. These two years were a huge waste of time and nothing else. And Isobel – she still didn't care, right?

But now someone else was put in the mix. A woman he cared deeply about, maybe to a larger extent than he should have, considering his unresolved issues and all this crap with his living dead ex. But it didn't mean he could leave everything the way it was.

And this was what flashed through his mind in these ten seconds that passed from him ringing the bell till the moment when the door knob turned and the door opened revealing Isobel standing on the other side, elegant as never before.

Damn, she was beautiful, Ric thought feeling his throat go dry like sandpaper. She always was but before he called it natural beauty. Well, in his mind. She always was the one to catch the eye. Now though, it was a different thing entirely. Her beauty might have as well been called deadly, and hell, it wouldn't have been an exaggeration. Not even a little. His gaze took in her perfect hair and simple black long-sleeved dress with a thin string of pearls around her neck, and a thought about butterfly flying to the fire because it was so bright crossed his mind. He was the butterfly of course, and the description was pretty close.

Anger and hope filled him again, almost like the first time when he saw her after two years of missing, boiling his blood. And all he could do was hope that he'd hold it together.

"Ric," she smiled at him not expressing any particular surprise at all, as if finding him on her doorstep was the most logical and natural thing ever. And once again he noted that it was shocking how little she resembled Isobel that he knew.

"We need to talk."

He made his way in past her not waiting for an invite and gave himself points for keeping his voice steady. Tried to ignore the luxurious mansion she was occupying and fought to stay focused. He stopped in the middle of the hall and turned around. Isobel closed the door and want past him into the living room, expecting him to follow apparently. On a scowl, he did.

"Would you like to have something to drink?" She asked, and filled a glass for herself when he ignored the question. "It's funny that you work with Damon now," she commented turning to him. "Is this a permanent thing, like a friendship? Or you two just mutually use each other?"

Surprisingly, her detached attitude and overall indifference helped him keep his composure. "What makes you think I have anything to do with Damon?"

"Well, maybe because there are very few people who know where to find me at the moment." She took a sip of her drink, and he was relieved that it wasn't blood. "If you had to look for me on your own, you'd probably spend a lot more time for it, I presume. Or maybe not." She gave him a long look. "You've always been resourceful and persistent, Ric."

"I'm flattered."

Isobel studied him searching for something that he couldn't quite define. Her gaze was piercing. The softness he remembered was gone without a trace. Whoever was inside of this body now, it wasn't Isobel that he knew. And yet, the image was too distracting to concentrate on logic. He _wanted_ it to be her.

"So… I'm all ears," she said at last as if stating who was calling the shots here.

It took him a couple of second to get back on track.

"Leave her alone, Isobel." And damn him, but his voice wasn't giving in. It was as firm as it could possibly be. Firm enough for him to believe in his own determination.

"Leave alone who?"

Well, she might have been a good actress but her surprise seemed to be genuine, even if Ric was not going to buy it just like that.

He flinched inwardly. "You know that I am talking about Jenna. Stay away from her."

"Oh, that cute aunt of Elena's slash new girlfriend of your?" Isobel smirked. "To stay away from her I think I should first try to get close, no? Well, I didn't. Not interested, see. Since that our encounter a few weeks ago I am more picky about who I feed on, just in case. It would be unfortunate to run into your other friends since it upsets you so much."

"Am I supposed to believe it?" He snorted.

"Believe what you want, Ric, but if I actually wanted to do something to her, I'd wring her neck and she wouldn't even notice it."

And the way she said it – matter-of-factly, as if talking about weather or shoe sale - made his blood run cold. The cruelty and simplicity of it was horrifying. She had the point here though, as much as Alaric hated it. Which somehow didn't make him feel any better because, first of all, it meant that it was unpredictable, and thus – a lot more dangerous.

"Fine," he said sounding surprisingly calm. "Prove it then. Leave Mystic Falls."

Isobel laughed as if his words were the funniest thing ever. "I am not going anywhere. Not without what I came here for." She put her glass onto the mantelpiece and came up to him.

"Didn't you get it?" He quirked the brow, trying to ignore the fine scent of her perfume that washed over him upon her approach, sweet and expensive. Some device that she blackmailed out of Elena – Damon told him. She had it. What was the deal then? Was there something else? Or did she just look for another way to make their life even more miserable?

"Not yet."

"What is it?"

She took her time, let her gaze travel around his face before speaking again. "I thought it was obvious." Another pause to escalate the interest followed. "I came back for you, Ric."

**To be continued…

* * *

**

**A/N:** And on this I leave you for a little while as I am going on a short hiatus now, for about 4-5 weeks because I go on vacation next week and after it it'll take me some time to come up with smth new. Anyway, you're warned! ;)


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's note:** It's been a while, I know… But my vacation was fantastic! So… I won't say I'm sorry lol But – I would love to say that I am grateful for reviews and support :) I know that Jalaric is not the most popular couple on the show so it makes me appreciate your interest even more. You're great!

Another long chapter, but you know me :))) I can't help it. Some of you will hate me by the way. Not as much as after the next one but still. I am not particularly happy with it either, to be honest. Aaand... I should probably shut up here. Dig in!

* * *

**Chapter 8**

He knew he should have been surprised. In the back of his mind he knew he saw it coming. But Isobel's words shook the ground beneath Alaric's feet all the same. Instantly, his mouth had gone dry and he swallowed hard, his eyes never leaving her face.

"Why are you going this?" He asked in a hoarse voice.

"Do what?"

"Why all these games, Isobel? I think you made your point clear two year ago." He fought not to sound bitter but couldn't help it, not really. After all, it was she who chose immortality over what they had. It still hurt. It always would, one way or another. "Why bring this all up again now and make it worse? Why can't you just go?"

She was standing close as her eyes traveled around his face studying it as if searching for something, her own expression calm and assured of… well, whatever I was, she was pretty confident about it.

"Because it wasn't right. I made a mistake. I was wrong. But it shouldn't end up like that. There is always a way to make it work. And you know it, Ric." She gave him some time to process her words. "What exactly you've been looking me for if not this?"

"I wasn't looking for you for _this_," his voice dropped to a whisper.

For a very long moment they just stared at each other. The only sound Alaric could hear was hammering of his heart and a rush of blood in his ears. So fast, so loud that he was almost seeing black spots before his eyes. Hell, it wasn't supposed to be like that. It wasn't supposed to be happening at all.

And then Isobel grabbed him by his jacket and pulled him close and before he had time to understand what was happening, she pressed her lips to his not giving him a chance to recoil or turn away. For a moment he was totally paralyzed, surprised beyond himself. It felt… so familiar. The taste of her, the feel of her… something he didn't think he'd ever experience again. The memory he carried deep inside. And all the pain, and sorrow, and anger, and everything he'd gone through in the past years was back. Everything he'd lost. And for a moment he wanted to just grab her and press her against himself and just hold her because… wasn't it what he fought for all these years? Wasn't it what he wanted more than anything for so long?

But the moment was gone as fast as it came leaving him drained and empty, and suddenly it was so wrong. This kiss and the scent of Isobel's perfume washing over him, and her grip on him. It was like going back to where he had started in the first place. Something that he knew he shouldn't be doing. It felt like a huge mistake, and Alaric knew on instant that he didn't want to have anything to do with it.

He pulled away and stepped back trying to ignore the chaotic carousel of thoughts that exploded in his mind, his eyes on Isobel's face as he tried to predict and prevent whatever she might do next. She didn't do anything though, just gave him a long thoughtful look and let her lips twitch into a half-smile, half-smirk.

"We both know what the answer is, Ric, because the choice is obvious, isn't it?" She said then, and it didn't sound like a question at all. "In the end, you're going to choose me."

"Leave me alone."

"Who are you lying to now?"

"Don't do it, Isobel."

His voice was betraying him, and knowing that she could perfectly hear his quickened heartbeat wasn't exactly helping the matters. He knew she could see right through him because no matter what kind of monster was inside of that body, there still was a part of his Isobel there as well. The same Isobel that knew him as well as he knew himself. The same Isobel that could read him like an open book. Now that was a downside of having to deal with his ex, vampire or not. That was what was making him vulnerable, and Ric hated it. Her presence – once desirable – was now suffocating and pressing in a way that was making him want to be anywhere but in the room with her. And a part of him hated himself for that thought.

_Wasn't it what you wished for most?_ little evil voice inside of his head asked. _No_, he wanted to say and knew that it was a lie. He just… he simple didn't know what to think and do anymore.

"You and I, Ric. It's forever."

Not gracing her words with any sort of reply, Alaric shook his head, turned on his heels and walked out of the house and into the dusk not even bothering to try and sort out his thoughts and emotions knowing it was an impossible task. He had to get out of there. He had to get away, period. It was getting late, Jenna was going to come to his place really soon. Because… because there was something in his life now that finally started making some sense for the first time in a long while.

He jumped into the car and sped off, taking the turns without actually paying attention, his mind still off and pretty much blank as if his conversation with Isobel drained him completely. Absently, Ric rubbed at his forehead. Why? Why would it have to be happening?

But the real problem was that he was scared. He was scared of actually giving in and believing Isobel again.

* * *

"Seriously, why do you even bother?" Jeremy looked up heaving an exasperated sigh.

He was sitting on the floor in his room, his legs crossed and his back leaning against his bed when Anna lay on her stomach with a text book before her.

"What do you mean?" She looked curiously at him.

"All this." He swept their books and notepads with his glance. "How many times have you been to high school, anyway? Twelve? You probably know all this stuff better than… I don't know, anyone."

Anna giggled. "It's ten." He snorted and she continued. "I had to maintain the image of a high school girl not to get in a trouble. There were times when social services were… well, thorough."

"It's horrible. Even one time is way too much, but ten…" He shook his head slamming the book shut. "How comes you're not a nerd?"

She folded her arms on the bedspread and put her chin on them. "Who says I am not? Remember where we met?"

"The library," Jeremy chuckled. "But really, Anna. You have, like… all the time in the world, and you waste it on high school?"

He sounded so bewildered that she couldn't help but laugh.

"Eternity is over-rated, believe me. At some point you get so bored that even high school feels like a gulp of fresh air. Besides, times change. People change. Going through it all over again from time to time is interesting. And in the end it doesn't mean anything. I mean it's not like I have to go to college or, I don't know, plan my life, or anything. It's about having fun."

"Yeah, that changes everything, I guess. No pressure." He made a funny face at her. Paused for a while considering her answer. "It can probably make high school less boring."

"But it always has to come to an end, you know. You have to go before people start noticing that you don't age. That's a side effect. Not a bad one but uncomfortable sometimes."

He turned to her then leaning against the bed and propping his head on his hand. "So, how long do you think you'll stay here? I mean with your mom gone and all…" He trailed off and cleared his throat both eager and fearing to hear her answer.

Anna looked down at the pen she was twiddling in her fingers. "I don't know." She answered honestly lifting her eyes to his face again. "I've been thinking about it. And I wanted to leave right away, you know. It's not like anything's… well, there is something that keeps me here. But I don't have anywhere to go. Not really." She rolled over onto her back and peered at the ceiling. "It's getting a pressing issue though. Especially now with all these killings and your Uncle knowing who I am." She frowned.

"He's not going to touch you," Jeremy's voice was firm and determined. But then her words kicked in and he straightened up. "Wait… what? What killings are you talking about?"

She turned her head to study his face, surprised. "Don't you watch TV? A few people had gone missing, some bodies drained from blood were found in the area. It wouldn't take long for some people to put two and two together. I don't want to be here in the middle of the war."

"But…" His brows furrowed. "Really? It's all over the news?"

"I—I don't know. Damon told me." She paused. "Well, he actually asked if I heard something about it. I thought… I thought you knew. Your sister is dating Stefan. She must have heard about it."

Jeremy's lips twisted into a humorless smirk. "Sure she did, as always." He scoffed. "But then again, just like always, she's keeping secrets."

Anna fished her book from under her head and held it up before her face. "Look at the bright side."

"Which one?" Jeremy rolled his eyes.

"Your aunt is dating your history teacher. You're not going to fail at least one test." She pointed out and giggled when he nudged her.

* * *

At five minutes past eight Jenna knocked on the door to Ric's apartment. Waited for a few seconds and then put the paper bag with groceries in another hand and turned the knob. The door wasn't locked and gave in easily. Jenna pushed it open and stepped inside.

"Ric?" She called out.

He definitely was at home. His car was parked outside and the soft sounds of music were coming somewhere from the depths of the apartment, probably from that stereo system he had in the living room. And the air smelled… like food.

"Ric?" She repeated.

"Come on in," Alaric called back. "I'm a little stuck here with… something."

Curious, Jenna craned her neck and saw him standing in the kitchen, his back turned to her. She put the grocery bag onto the small table at the door, shrugged out of her jacket and put it on the hook. Grabbed the bag again and went to the kitchen where Ric stood at the stove. Seeing him like that for the second time of the day was… well, it was nice. Like, really nice, and Jenna smiled to herself noting that she actually liked the idea of getting used to it.

"Sorry, I didn't hear you knocking." He looked at her over the shoulder and smiled, making her heart give a small leap. His eyes stopped at the bag in her hands then, curious. "What's in there?"

Jenna put it onto the counter and looked inside. "Um, some stuff I grabbed on the way." She shrugged. "What are you doing?" Looked over his shoulder then at the pleasant smelling substance in the pot on the stove that he stirred with a spatula recognizing the notes of tomatoes, garlic, basilica and some spices she failed to identify.

"I should have asked earlier perhaps, but what do you think about Italian?" Ric looked down at her.

"Sounds good." She sniffed the air. "Smells fine, too. I thought you said you didn't cook?"

"Not much anyway." Ric chuckled. "That's why I went for pasta. You've got to try real hard to ruin it."

"And this is-?"

"It's a sauce," he explained. "Wait a moment." He scooped a little on the spatula and turned to Jenna blowing on it until it cooled down. "Here," offered it to her. "Try it."

She looked at the mass a little suspiciously, mostly out of wish to tease him, then glanced up at his face and took the risk holding his gaze, her hand coming to rest on his waist.

"Mm, it's nice!" She admitted not without surprise.

"Yeah?"

"Hm."

Smiling, he bent down and caught her lips with his. A feather-light touch that deepened in a few moments as Jenna responded eagerly leaning a little into him, a whiff of her familiar perfume mixed with the scent of chilly November air reaching him, making his head spin a little. He felt her smile and something fluttered inside of him. She did taste good. Like, damn breathtakingly good, he noted getting lost in the moment.

"Not bad at all," he agreed in a whisper. "Maybe some salt…" He pressed his lips against hers again, traced the outline of her mouth. "No, it's good the way it is."

"Don't we risk getting it burned?"

"A little," Ric laughed. Unwillingly, he pulled back straightening up and got back to stirring. "Would you like to have something to drink? I've got beer in the fridge." His own bottle, uncapped and missed a couple of swigs, stood beside him on the counter.

"That would be nice," Jenna nodded.

"Okay," he looked around the kitchen. "Take this for a moment." Gestured to her to take his place at the stove. "Keep doing it."

"Like that?"

"Exactly."

With his mind still a little fuzzy from the conversation with Isobel. Two hours that had passed since then were not enough for his thoughts to settle. He was still feeling a little too distracted, although Ric did his best to concentrate on here and now. He fetched a bottle of Corona from the fridge and twisted off the cap before handing it to Jenna.

"Thanks," they reversed places again.

She took a swig from the bottle. "Do you need a hand with anything?"

"Oh, I don't know. Not really. But… you can take care of the salad if you want."

"Okay, sure." She put the beer aside.

"Thanks," Alaric offered her a small warm smile, feeling guilty for all the mess in his head and somewhat surprised – in a very pleasant way – by how good and comfortable it felt to have her around. It reminded him of why he fell for her in the first place – because it was… right somehow. The feeling that he couldn't quite explain but it was the reason of why he kept coming back to her. "So, the knives are here," he pulled out the drawer to the left from him with his free hand. "And… the bowls are over there." Waved towards the last cupboard to the right. "Go ahead!" He winked at her making Jenna let out a short light laugh. "And this," Ric checked his watch in half a minute and turned off the burner before putting the pot onto the chopping board not to damage the surface of the counter, "is ready. I… think."

Obvious doubt in his voice made Jenna turn to look at him over the shoulder. The expression with which he was peering at the contents of the pot was pretty much indescribable slash quite amusing. He felt her gaze and lifted his head up.

"Oh well." Grinned at her.

"Have you even done this before?" Her eyes narrowed.

"Honestly?"

"At what point should I start to worry, exactly?" Jenna asked with suspicion turning her attention away from chopping cherry tomatoes in two halves.

Still smiling, Alaric emptied the bowl of pre-boiled pasta into the baking pan, poured the sauce over it and then sprinkled it all with grated Cheddar cheese before putting it into the oven and setting the timer. Wiped his hands with the kitchen towel after that and sighed with relief. He took another swig of his beer and then poked into the grocery bag that was still set on the counter.

"What have we got here?" He retrieved a bottle of white wine, a smaller paperback with French bread, a can of small salad mozzarella balls and a pack of— "Strawberries?" He turned to Jenna, one of his brows quirked up slightly.

"Well, there are still white spots," she told him. "I didn't know if you were a cake-for-dessert kind of guy."

"Not really," he shook his head chuckling.

"That's what I thought."

"I have a couple of ideas though," he added after a short consideration before dipping in for another kiss.

"That's what I thought, too." Jenna held his gaze meaningfully.

Ric chuckled. "I can take it from here." He sidestepped her neatly away from the counter and took the knife from her hand ignoring Jenna's half-hearted protest. "Why don't you just enjoy yourself tonight?"

Shaking her head, Jenna put the bottle of wine into the fridge and took a sip of her beer feeling the warmth spreading all over her body when rich amber liquid settled in her stomach. She came up to Ric and leaned against the counter beside him.

"Thanks," she said. Waited for him to look at her. "For this. A much needed break."

"Everything's going to be okay," he said, the tone of his voice changing momentarily, and she wanted, oh so wanted, to believe him.

And that was why she held back the skeptical chuckle that nearly escaped her and just nodded instead. "How did the whole… thing with Damon go?" She asked casually. Reached out to pick a piece of tomato from the bowl before him and threw it into her mouth.

Alaric hesitated. "Um… well…" gave her a quick uncertain glance out of the corner of his eye.

"What?" Jenna strained.

"It's not exactly appetizing," he said at last.

"What is it, Ric?"

Alaric put the knife aside trying to collect his thoughts together. He hated himself for having to ruin the moment because god knew they had so few of them that each and every was precious. And he would gladly try to keep her out of all of that if she wasn't involved already. But she was and he had—

"The notes you've been getting, they were written in blood," he breathed out watching her face for… well, anything. "Not red ink."

Jenna lowered her beer onto the counter feeling that her fingers started to shake a little as her eyes grew wider. "What?" As if she wasn't sure she heard him correctly.

"Told you," Ric said softly and smirked humorously. "Not appetizing."

"Are you serious?" She asked instinctively, her voice disbelieving, until it occurred to her that Alaric wasn't the one to joke about such things. "Of course you are." On a heavy sigh she turned around leaned against the counter propping herself on her hands. Lowered her head and peered at pink and gray veins of the marble with such intensity that they might have as well had deeper meaning to them.

"Jenna…"

"Oh God," she straightened up sharply and ran her fingers through her hair, her heart pounding in her throat and her knees trembling slightly as she wondered if Ric had tequila stashed somewhere around here because beer wasn't quite helping much. Short bitter laughter escaped her lips.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. Hesitated for a moment and then reached out to stroke a soothing hand down the side of her face. Her skin felt cold against his fingers. Alaric waited for her to look up at him and mustered a small smile. "Look, all this crap is still going to be here tomorrow. But today we are going to forget about it. We will have dinner and talk about simple things, okay?" Jenna didn't reply straight away. "Jenna?"

She let out a long breath but… he was right, wasn't he? "Okay," she smiled back and then made a funny face.

"Good." Everything about him eased visibly and his own smile became less strained and more genuine. Resultantly, Ric let his hand fall from her face and went to the fridge to retrieve some lettuce. Rinsed it in the sink, then grabbed a bottle of olive oil and went back to Jenna. "So, how was your day? In the normal-verse." He asked conversationally.

She couldn't help but roll her eyes, really.

But fine. They were playing this game, she could do it.

She took a deep breath, sipped a little from her bottle again and then put it aside and folded her arms on her chest. Well, it was a good idea after all, she thought. They might have as well tried to get the best of what was coming their way, no?

"Oh… well, Elena and I are kind of working on the _clean the attic_ project," she replied watching his profile and noted that the corners of his mouth tugged up a little at her wording. "So, I spent half of the afternoon buried in old photos and other stuff, some of which I have no idea why Grayson or my sister kept."

"That sounds…" he trailed off searching for the right word. "Exciting."

"Not quite," Jenna laughed. "But we found a bunch of old Gilbert journals the other day, so it wasn't a complete waste of time after all."

"Really?" Now, he was interested.

"Yeah. We're all about family history now." Ric snorted softly as Jenna searched her mind for something else. Something that had nothing to do with the nightmares and psychotic creatures running in the night. "My school starts next week." She said then, and explained, "It's a pre-midterm thing, a few classes, some research work before I have to hand in some stuff and move on to the field study. Hopefully, it'll keep my mind off of… um, everything else." Ric gave her a quick look and she returned a small smile shrugging. "What about you? How's school going?"

"No bad." He sprinkled the vegetables with olive oil. Reached for the salt. "And as soon as this whole Founder's Day craziness is over and we can finally get back to real life, I plan to leave behind the history of Mystic Falls for a while and move on to the real stuff, like World War II period."

"Sounds interesting."

"It is. I—I spent a while studying it back in university. I told you I was pathetic, right?" The smile that she didn't attempt to hide warmed him from inside. "Anyway, it'll be good for them to learn something about the rest of the world, and it'll keep us occupied for the next few months." His features softened and his voice changed a little when he continued. "You know, it is still a bit strange to work at school. I got used to having an older audience, like, grad students. People who are more… serious about that." He chuckled. "It's not always easy to keep high school kids interested."

"But you keep trying," and it was more of a statement than a question.

"Of course. Isn't it the point?

Slowly, Jenna nodded. "So… do you think you'd like to get back to the university routine one day?" She asked matter-of-factly. Too matter-of-factly.

Her question surprised Alaric a little. "I don't know," he replied after a short pause. "Honestly, I didn't really think about it." Truth be told, until recently he didn't think much about anything but finding Damon Salvatore and killing him. Speaking of proper life goals, huh? "But yes, I guess it would be nice, all this field research and serious stuff." And it was only then that the real meaning of her question kicked in. He gave her a quick look noting that a shade of disappointment flashed across her features. "But right now I am happy to be where I am," he said subtly in a soft voice, intentionally not looking her way before letting his smile widen not able to hold it back. "Can you please give me the pepper? It's—somewhere there," he waved his hand indefinitely behind his back.

"Sure," she found the bottle on the stand with spices. "So, Italian… is there anything else to it, beside obvious simplicity?" She asked returning back.

"Thanks. Well, it tastes good if you don't screw it up-" he started.

A knock on the door cut them off and made them turn around.

"Are we waiting for a company?" Jenna asked uncertainly.

"Not that I'm aware of," Ric replied with doubt, feverishly trying to recall if they actually were.

"I'll get it," Jenna said when another knock came.

She was out of the kitchen before Alaric could say a word leaving him to follow her with his gaze. He hesitated for a moment debating whether he should go after her. Maybe someone just got the wrong door? He heard muffled voices from the hall and before he came up with any decision, she was back with a small box in her hands.

"Who was it?" He asked curiously.

"A courier."

"And this is—"

"Whatever it is, it has your name on it," Jenna shrugged and put it onto the counter. "Do you expect anything?"

"Mm, no, not really." He put the bowl with the salad aside, his mind more set on dinner and the pasta-_something_ in the oven than anything else. Napkins. He needed napkins. Linen ones, not paper, Ric thought absently. And they were—"But I am still in the process of moving here," he added automatically addressing Jenna. "Some of my stuff is still at Duke, books, journals. Things that other people borrowed."

Jenna took the box in her hands and gave it a cautious shake. "It's too light for the books," she informed him.

"Who sent it?" Now, that was getting interesting.

"I don't see the sender's address." She studied the box thoroughly all over, then lifted it above her head to take a look at the bottom. Not that there was a _Don't turn upside down_ warning but who knew? "Nope, only your address and the stamps."

"Just open it," he offered.

Plates. Right. He put dark blue napkins aside and went to retrieve two ceramic plates from the cupboard grabbing the forks and wine glasses on his way back to the table. Candles would be nice, too. He smiled to himself. Yeah, candles were a good idea.

And it was only then that Ric realized that something was wrong. All of a sudden it struck him and everything changed, as if someone tuned the switch. His apartment and the scent of parmesan and garlic were gone, and so was the comfort – too short-lived to actually get used to it or enjoy it. All of his senses sharpened by the second making the sounds become louder and the colors brighter, and his body went stiff for the reason he couldn't put his finger on. But he knew better than not to trust his instinct that was screaming _Wrong!_ It was almost like a panic attack that consumed him wholly, practically making him suffocate as if all air was sucked out of the room, and he fought so hard to grasp onto reality and try to figure out what the hell was going on.

There must have been something – a sound, a thought… something he didn't pay attention to because it was too insignificant. Slowly, he turned around hoping it was false alarm, waiting for it to go away. Over the years his mind learned to play tricks with him, his sense of self-preservation getting a little amplified to a somewhat paranoiac level from time to time. Not that he could do much about it though.

His eyes moved to Jenna, her hands on the box cutting through tape on top with the kitchen scissors…

Like in a slow motion replay.

"Jenna, don't!" The words went out before he knew and then he stepped towards her, knowing it was too slow, too late.

She opened the box and they both saw the contents of it simultaneously as time seemed to slow its pace by the second. And then she gasped and stepped backwards, her hands jerking away from the cardboard, purplish from blood on the inside, as if it electrocuted her.

Horrified, she span around and bumped into him. "Don't look." Ric's arms were around her on instant holding her as if trying to shield her from what had just happened, pulling her away from the counter, his mind foggy and refusing to accept the picture before his eyes.

"There… there-" Jenna mumbled not able to go further than that, her conscience incapable of wrapping around what she'd just saw.

She shut her eyes so tight that it hurt and buried her face in his chest clenching onto the fabric of Alaric's shirt with her fingers so fiercely that her knuckles had gone white and taking short convulsive breaths in attempt to keep down the beer and a few pieces of food that she'd eaten, and god help her, it wasn't easy. The image seemed to be etched into her mind forever.

Inside the box lay what had probably been a crow not so long time ago. A crow that, judging by the bloody and feathery mess, someone probably put into the meat chopper before sending it to Ric. The thought made her swallow hard and draw in a sharp breath as she willed it to just switch off before she actually had gone crazy.

She felt Ric's arms close around and somehow it kept her world in one piece. Felt her own body shake as one wave of nausea went through it after another and tightened her grip on him.

"Why would… Who…" She muttered. Finishing her thoughts was an impossible task though.

"It's okay," Ric whispered against her hair, although they both knew that he was lying. Everything was _anything_ but okay. But for some reason it worked for a very short period of time. At least her breath stopped being forced and convulsive eventually and that alone was a good thing.

Alaric turned away from the horrible image locking his eyes on the wall across from them as he counted slowly in his mind – to ten first, then to twenty, and so on – in order to collect his own hectic thoughts together. It would be nice if at least one of them kept their cool. So much for the normal night, huh?

* * *

Elena walked out of the bathroom in her tank top and pajama pants… and stopped short when she found Damon lying on her bed, his hands behind his head and his eyes glued to the ceiling as if the answers to sacramental questions were written there. Automatically, she looked up, too, and then back at him. He didn't acknowledge her appearance in any specific way, but the corner of his lips tugged up a little which meant he noticed her. Well, sensed her, heard her… whatever.

"Damon?" She closed the door to the bathroom and made sure she kept her voice low. "What are you doing here?" Walked up to him somewhat cautiously wondering if she was up to yet another bunch of bad news because obviously it was the reason of his visit. Or well, it normally was. But then again, it was Damon – he was beyond logic.

"Babysitting," he shrugged, as much as it was possible when one was lying on the back.

"Baby—what? What are you talking about?"

He rolled his eyes. "Stefan's hunting. These cute fluffy creatures. Hey, do you think they can band up and attack him in his sleep at some point?" He gave this thought some consideration and then untucked one of his hands from under his head and patted it on the bedspread beside him inviting Elena to join when she didn't answer. "He's going to stop by a little later. But now… you have me!"

Which was… uncalled for, and thus more than a little suspicious, if only because it probably meant that something was not right again.

"What's going on?" She asked coming closer, still a little confused and maybe a somewhat unnerved to find Damon feeling… well, quite at home, all relaxed and pretty comfortable in her room. If only she didn't know that the impression was deceiving. It was Damon after all.

In a smooth movement that was too fast for her to notice, Damon caught her by the wrist and jerked her down. She flopped onto the bed beside him, her hair a dark halo around her head on the comforter, and stared at the ceiling too, her heart going wild in her chest, out of surprise mostly, and then maybe something else – something she didn't want to go into. Totally despite herself she noted a whiff of Damon's perfume mixed with the scent of fresh night air coming from his jacket perhaps. She swallowed hard and fought to keep her thoughts together.

"I am not so sure Jenna would approve of you hanging out here," she told his not bothering to get up.

"Relax," Damon waved his hand before putting it behind his head again. "She's staying with the history teacher tonight. Thus, supposedly, she couldn't care less." He paused thoughtfully, and then added as an afterthought, "Besides, your brother has a girlfriend in his room, so you can always use it as an excuse."

Elena frowned and turned her head to look at his face trying to figure out if he was kidding or not. It was never easy to be sure about such things with Damon. She studied the outline of his profile for a while as he kept peering upwards. He wasn't smiling but he didn't look stressed either so she let herself relax a little. This, of course, could be deceiving, too. Her bets were on that, but oddly, it was comforting to have him here.

He felt her watching him – practically burning a hole in his head. So, he turned his head too and studied her face thoroughly taking in every detail and wondering how was it even possible to take Elena for Katherine. They were as different as two people could possibly be. Come to think of it, they didn't even look that alike. Elena was more… gentle, he decided. There was some softness to her that he could never see in Katherine. Well, not really. Katherine was good at mustering it if she needed of course. But for some reason he never ever had this overwhelming need to protect Katherine from the rest of the world that he felt about Elena.

And wasn't it pathetic? This _some-people-never-learn_ thing was getting a tad annoying, really. Especially the part where he couldn't quite control it. And even more – the part where he didn't want to do it.

"How do you know?" Elena asked, seemingly oblivious to the train of his thought.

"About Anna? I can hear them talking. School stuff. So boring I can't be bothered to eavesdrop." He faked a yawn.

"About Jenna," she told him bringing him back on track.

Damon faltered. "Oh, that… Ric called me," he said matter-of-factly. "They had an… incident."

"Incident?" Not liking the sound of it, Elena turned to her side and propped herself on the elbow, frowning. "What kind of-?"

"She's fine, believe me. Now that this vampire hunter has a _huuuge_ thing for her, she is as safe as she could be." He snorted. "Well, until someone is _dead_ serious about killing her, or whatever."

The killing part made her strain. "What happened there?"

"Let's say, she received an unappetizing gift." He flinched with disgust.

"Could you please be serious for a moment?" Elena looked pointedly at him.

"I am," and his expression implied that she said something extremely insulting. "How exactly did she piss off someone so much?" Damon asked, although it was quite rhetorical. Her expression was _Huh?_ though, so he explained, "This whole stalking thing, you know. I mean yeah, she's awesome and all but…" He trailed off chuckling.

"Wait," she peered intensely at him. "What do you mean?"

"About some vamp that is after her." He grimaced with frustration. "We usually don't bother that much for no reason, you know. So, she's staying at his place and Stef and I are going to watch the house… just in case."

"Damon, wait… what? A vamp?" Now that was what she didn't expect to hear.

"Yep." He frowned. "You didn't know?"

"No, I—she left out the vampire part." Elena let out a long exasperated sigh, ran her hand through her hear and then flopped on her back once again, her heart thudding dully against her chest, and wondered somewhat absently if any of this was going to come to an end any time soon. A vampire was after Jenna. Again. Now that was just amazing, wasn't it? As if Logan didn't cause enough trouble.

"So, what would you like to do?" Damon asked pretty cheerfully. "Movies? Charades? Oh, wait! You'll love it – phone pranks!"

* * *

A few hours later Jenna fell asleep on the couch, her head lying on the pillow that rested on Ric's lap and her breath finally deep and even.

Alaric dimmed the lights leaving only the reading lamp in the corner and muted the TV not quite remembering how it happened to be turned on in the first place or why he didn't switch it off. Flickering images were of no help to his restless mind as he peered sightlessly at the screen for what felt like eternity and not seeing a thing, his thoughts anywhere but in this room. Brief moment of normality was gone without a trace too fast for Ric to even notice it leaving him with the feeling of deep dark despair. He felt trapped in the vicious circle and there was no escape.

The box with what had once been a bird ended up in the dumpster, and Alaric called Damon on his way back to his apartment to fill him in briefly. He didn't remember much of that conversation though, everything about him was tense and on alert when he had to cross these several yards of the back yard as his eyes kept darting around, and he only let his breath out when he closed the door to his place and checked the locks. Double checked.

Everything was getting out of control. It was obvious that whoever was after Jenna for whatever reason, they were keeping an eye on her, following her, with crow or without. They knew that she was at his place and they knew that she knew about the bird. How did they find out? Was it his appearance at the Gilberts' in the middle of the night? Damon hanging around? Something else? Or they saw it in her mind? God, he didn't want to even start going into imagining what else they picked up rummaging through Jenna's brain.

The thought made Ric's breath hitch.

And then another followed, pretty much inevitable. Could it really be Isobel? Could she really be doing this Jenna? To him? To them? Was she capable of something like that?

His mind drifted back to their conversation earlier today and the words she'd said to him. Why was she doing it? Why would she do it all to him in the first place? Turning, leaving him, ruining everything they had and could have had. And why would she have to come back to ruin everything all over again just when he started moving on at last?

And he truly hated himself for even thinking about it but he couldn't help it. Isobel's words and her offer… it stirred something in him, which made Alaric feel so endlessly guilty that it almost hurt. How could he ever—

But what if Damon was wrong? What if he was the _type_ after all? What would he do if she offered it to him two years ago? He loved her. He loved her so much that… that he probably wouldn't want to lose her no matter what, right? Alaric knew the answer to _that_ question. But now-now everything changed. He changed. And still… What if Isobel's return actually meant something? What if it was a sign? Could he really do that? Could he trust her with everything once again? Was he even capable of making that leap and taking the risk? And what was the most important – did he still love her?

Jenna sighed in her sleep, and all of his thoughts were gone on an instant, his mind focused on a woman beside him. His features softened minutely at the sight of her. God, she was beautiful, Ric thought and his heart constricted making his blood run faster. Bittersweet joy mixed with sadness filled him as he reached out absent-mindedly to stroke her hair. He caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers wondering ruefully what she did to deserve all the crap that was happening to her. As if the whole family tragedy wasn't enough.

Slowly, her eyes fluttered open, and Jenna blinked sleepily a few times as she took her time to understand where she was and how she ended up there. And then she turned her head and looked up at Alaric.

"Hey," he said with a small smile. "You feeling better?"

That was an interesting question, Jenna thought ruefully. Better, she guessed although the thought about their untouched dinner was more or less unbearable.

"Yeah, I-I'm fine," she said in a sleep affected voice, her thoughts a little unfocused and her mind somewhat foggy. "What happened?" The question came out in a whisper, as if it was what dimmed lights required. As if neither of them could speak normally, period.

"You dozed off." Ric looped a strand of hair behind her ear.

"What time is it?"

He checked his watch. "A little past three."

Unsteadily, not entirely awake yet, Jenna pushed herself up to a sitting position and let her gaze travel around the living room once again before returning to Ric's face. She ran her fingers though her hair. "I should—I should probably go."

"You're not going anywhere," he shook his head, his smile faded to be replaced by a concerned frown.

"No, Ric, I can't—" she protested. "I have to… Jeremy and Elena—"

"Are fine," he finished. "Stefan is there, and Damon is… around." He knew it wasn't consoling, not even a little, and her doubtful expression spoke volumes, and truth be told, he could perfectly understand her reasons and all, except that this time he was right and knew that she knew it, too. "Look, they are safe until the vampire is invited into the house, and they're not going to let it happen." _Yeah, good job! Freak her out even more!_ "You being there… it won't change anything, Jenna." Uh-huh, that was the part where mental kick was a must. "They are fine. And you're safe here, and you really need to have some rest."

For a long moment Jenna just watched him, debating his offer and torn between what she thought was right and… well, everything else, still not at all reassured or convinced. He was making sense, yes. Whoever was after her definitely knew where to find her. The poor bird was sent to Ric's although the message was definitely for her, that she was sure of. And maybe it was better that way. Maybe Elena and Jeremy were safer when she was away.

On the other hand, having two vampires hanging around her house, even for a good cause, was more than a little unnerving. If she couldn't keep them away – which was obvious – then she wanted to at least try to be in control of it as best she could. But the truth was, she was scared like never before in her entire life. Hell, up till now she had no idea what _scared_ was. And maybe it wasn't such a bad thing to let someone help her handle it for once.

Seeing the emotions flicker across her face, Ric took her by the wrist and pulled her close. "C'mere." He shifted so that Jenna could sit with her back leaning against his chest and wrapped his arms around her as she snuggled into him. "I want you to stay with me."

"I am the worst parent ever," she groaned burying her face into his neck, her breath and eyelashes tickling his skin.

He laughed softly, his lips brushed against her hair. "No, you're not. You're just not quite grown-up yet. It takes time."

"Thanks, you're very helpful."

"Don't be so harsh on yourself," he protested, a little amused.

"He's a vampire, Ric," Jenna looked up at him. "He's dangerous. They all are, you know. Miranda would have killed me if she knew her daughter was dating a vampire," she breathed out. "She'd have a heart attack first and then she'd kill me."

"I am not going to disagree but it's not like you can lock them up."

"I know. Although the idea had crossed my mind, believe me." He fingers flexed on the sleeve of his shirt as she held onto him. "But… It doesn't change the fact that I am screwing up."

"You're not."

She didn't seem to hear him though. "I know how to be their friend," Jenna's voice dropped a little when he ran his hand up and down her arm soothingly. "Someone they could come to to moan about their parents being too strict and curfews and school and other things they couldn't talk to Miranda and Gray about. _That_ was my thing. _That_ I knew how to deal with." She paused. "I gave Elena a fake ID for her sixteenth birthday. I told Jer what stuff girls dig."

Alaric chuckled, not surprised. "You really are a dream of an aunt."

"Last year I helped Elena sneak out the house and took her to a party with me." She confided. "Student stuff, you know? It was crazy. We spent the whole night there. And Miranda was so mad when she found out." The memory made Jenna smile. "I have never heard her shout like that in my entire life. I thought she was going to kill us both."

"Why don't I have a problem imagining that?" He shook his head, and snorted when she attempted to elbow him half-heartedly causing him to laugh softly.

"Elena was grounded for two weeks. And I bet my sister hated me for the fact that she couldn't exactly do the same thing to me." Absently, she took his hand and entwined their fingers. "But I don't know how to be responsible for them and make the decisions that they'd probably hate me for."

"They love you."

"Do you think they are in danger because of what is happening?" Jenna's gaze fixed on the paining on the opposite wall as she fought to keep her voice flat.

Alaric sensed the change in her mood. "I don't know," he said honestly on a sigh. "Hopefully, no."

"Why would anyone do that?" Inevitably, her thoughts drifted back to all the events of the past few days, and the car-crash, all the horror of it, and notes written in blood – the thought made her shiver from the cold that grew and spread inside of her – and the crow, and Jenna swallowed hard fighting nausea that started to come up her throat once again. "Why?"

To that Ric had no answer either. And no reassuring words that would sound convincing enough came to mind as well. And he didn't want – and come to think of it _couldn't_ – lie to her.

"Come on," he faked a smile in a lousy attempt to cheer her up a little. "It's just a vampire, nothing we didn't have to deal with before, right?"

Jenna half scoffed, half snorted and looked up at him. "Yeah, just another day in the neighborhood, huh?"

He leaned in finding her lips with his. "We live in a screwed up neighborhood."

Jenna giggled. "Uh-huh," she mumbled incomprehensively taking Ric's lower lip between her teeth playfully thrilled by the low growled that formed in his throat and the flutter of butterflies in her stomach. "You were saying?"

* * *

Jenna turned the knob and pushed the door open slowly hoping the hinges wouldn't creak. They didn't and she took it as a good sign. She poked her head inside listening intently to any sounds that might come from the depths of the house – music in Jeremy's room, running water in the second floor bathroom, soft footsteps _somewhere_ – but it was plunged into complete silence at this "barely after dawn" hour.

She opened it wider and tiptoed inside pulling Ric in behind her as she gestured at him to stay quiet. Carefully, she closed the door behind them making sure the lock didn't click too loud.

"I should probably stop coming back home in the morning at some point," Jenna whispered as her eyes darted towards the second floor area where the doors to Elena and Jeremy's bedrooms remained shut before finding Ric's face again. "It's like being back to school."

"And isn't it fun?" He whispered back.

"Only I'm afraid it's nowhere on the _Parental figure slash role model for teenagers Guide_."

Alaric chuckled and instantly Jenna covered his mouth with her hand muting him. She froze for a moment listening again and when no sound came from upstairs, she removed her palm, stretched up on her toes and replaced it with her lips.

"Shh."

"Uh-huh," he mumbled. Slipped his hands under her unbuttoned jacket wrapping his arms around his waist and pulling Jenna close, feeling her smile against his mouth.

"I'm serious, Ric. I don't want to wake up the whole house." His hands went up and down her back under the jacket and she giggled. "Hey, it tickles."

"I thought you didn't want to wake anyone up," Ric reminded her in a mock serious voice.

"And you're not helping me," she drawled. And saw that he was struggling oh so hard not to burst out laughing, too. "Thanks for the ride by the way."

"My pleasure," he breathed out.

Jenna looked up the stairs again, considering, before turning back to him "You don't have to leave just yet, do you?"

Alaric's eyes flickered to the clock on the mantelpiece in the living room. "No, not really."

His first class was supposed to start in about an hour, although it probably wouldn't hurt to arrive earlier and go through his notes. With everything that was going on in his life lately, keeping track of the school program wasn't all that easy. On his list of priorities and among "Keep Jenna safe" and "Don't let anyone die in the process", it was probably on the second place. From the end. Somewhere between "Unpack the rest of the boxes" and "Call to the Duke Library to cancel the catalogue subscription".

"Good," she smiled. "Come on, I'll make us some coffee."

Smiling back, Ric started to follow her but then his eyes slid habitually along the living room and stopped on the object lying on the shelf. A book. Its worn leather cover standing out too much to miss it. Like a gemstone lying in the sand. Alaric stopped, frowning. It looked familiar, and he fought to understand why.

"What?" Jenna turned when he hand slipped out of hers.

"What's that?" Ric nodded towards the book, his eyes glued to it.

She followed his gaze. "One of the journals, I guess." She shrugged. "I told you Elena and I found a bunch of then in the old Grayson's things. Elena must have forgotten it here."

A shade of confusing crossed his face for a moment. "Oh, right. Mind if I—mind if I take a look?"

She cocked one of her eyebrows, but did not comment knowing he wouldn't be able to pass by it. "Sure, go ahead."

In the kitchen Jenna slipped out of her jacket and hung it onto the back of one of the chairs standing around the dining table. She threw a quick glance over her shoulder and had to bite her lower lip to keep herself from grinning like an idiot. It was ridiculous, the way Ric was making her feel. Especially in the light of recent events. But she couldn't help it, and to be honest, didn't really want to.

Like a school girl, really. Jenna shook her head smiling to herself as she rummaged though the cupboards in search of an open pack of grinded coffee knowing they definitely had one.

It was the sound of the opening door that made her snap her head up in alarm as her heart jumped up her throat and span around. And then she all but let out a sigh of relief when John stepped in. Now, it was getting just annoying, being so jumpy and neurotic all the time, wasn't it? Jenna's fingers flexed on the plastic pack while she waited for her breath to get back to normal.

John meanwhile scanned the kitchen and then his eyes inevitably stopped on her. "Jenna?" Apparently, she didn't expect to see her. "Hi."

His gaze slid towards her jacket and then past it to where Alaric was standing in living room near the book shelves, too lost in thought to pay attention to anything. It wasn't hard to put two and two together. He closed the door and walked in, also not looking like he was jogging or just stepped out to grab croissants for breakfast.

"John," she called back taking in his black jeans and leather jacket. By the looks of it, he didn't spent the night at home either, she figured. Not that it was any of her business of course. "Busy night?"

She walked past him grabbing the spoon from the drawer along the way and came up to the coffee machine almost sure he'd just leave.

"You can say that."

He didn't though. Instead, he came up to the table and grabbed the apple from the bowl – she could see it out of the corner of her eye. Looked at it thoughtfully and then took a bite. His eyes seemed to be drawing to Ric every now and then.

"So, how are you doing?" John asked her all of a sudden startling Jenna. At first she didn't even realize he was addressing her until she turned to meet his gaze and saw him looked back expectedly at her.

"Why?"

He shrugged. "Just asking. It's called conversation."

Jenna sneered. "Don't bother." And then under her breath, "Like you care."

"I do, actually. Assuming that you're a sole guardian of my nephew and… niece." He cleared his throat hoping the hesitation wasn't too obvious. As far as he was aware, Jenna had no idea about his relationship with Isobel Fleming-Saltzman and the reason why Elena ended up in the Gilberts' family in the first place. He was sure that Alaric knew, but apparently he kept it from her. "You know that you can always count on me if you need anything. Any of you."

Jenna processed his words and swallowed witty comment that nearly escaped her. Quippy, yes. But she wasn't mean. She knew he cared. In his own way, but whatever. "Yes, I know. Thank you." There was some uneasiness about him that Jenna couldn't quite figure and it left her curious despite her wish.

He nodded. "So, you and Alaric—" the end of the phrase was left hanging.

"Me and Ric _what_?" She scoffed humorlessly. "Please don't tell me you're going to lecture me. Not after someone kidnapped you _and Jeremy_ because of your unresolved issues."

"I told you it was a mistake."

"Which doesn't undo the fact that you put him in danger," she pointed out coolly.

"I was not going to lecture you,"

"Fine! So, what is this little chit-chat about?"

"Plain curiosity. I don't remember you making coffee for me, back when… you know"

His words surprised her. The very fact that he brought it up again, assuming that their relationship back in the day could've been qualified as nothing but frenemies with benefits, and then one day he'd just left without so much as goodbye. Arrogant selfish son of a bitch, that was what he'd always been, as if being a Gilbert was akin being some sort of god. Keeping back something and making a lot of fuss around it. Well, now she knew _what_ it was. Not that it was making any difference.

Jenna took her time to fill in the coffee machine with water and coffee. Checked the timer and turned it on. She walked across the kitchen to place the pack of coffee back into the cupboard before turning to face John again.

"What happened between you and me was a huge mistake of a long time ago," she told him in a casual voice, although her eyes glaring daggers. "So why don't we leave it in the past where it belongs and never go back to it again?"

John opened his mouth to say something in response but then his gaze shifted sideways and over her shoulder, and her heart plummeted down into her stomach as she turned slowly to find Ric standing in the doorway, his face disbelieving.

_Oh, crap! _

"I think—I should probably go now," he said breaking the pause in a while sounding a little distracted. "Yeah, I should-"

He turned around and walked out of the kitchen and in thick silence that reigned now – so thick it was practically tangible – his footsteps echoed almost deafeningly.

"Damn it," Jenna muttered following him in a hurried brisk pace, her heart drumming against her ribcage. "Ric, wait!" He was out of the door before she reached the hall and slammed it behind his back. She swung it open. "Alaric!"

He stopped and turned slowly, a foot away from the porch steps, his hair rumpled by the wind and his breath puffing out into chilly air in small white clouds. And Jenna all but took a small step back at the _feel_ of disappointment coming from him in waves, and her shoulders slumped down in defeat. Hell if she knew what to say to make it up. Hell if she knew what to say when he was looking at her like _that_, damn it!

Alaric studied her face for a long moment and then let out a short bitter chuckle, looking away for a moment and then fixing his gaze on Jenna once again.

"You could have told me."

And the way he said it, his voice, the way he made it sound – it was like a slap in the face. And it hurt so damn much. Jenna put her hand on the door frame, both out of habit and to keep herself from falling when her knees went weak.

And suddenly his implied accusation, and someone stalking her, and the vampires in town, and everyone she cared about being in danger because of that – it got just a little too much to bear. She felt like her mind was going to explode, and… it was so unfair! Not Ric. Fighting with him, proving something to him – something as ridiculous as a meaningless affair with John Gilbert – she couldn't do it. She just couldn't add it to the list of things that were wrong in her life.

"Like how?" Her own short laughter that she simply couldn't help was as humorless as it could be. "_Hey, Ric, this is John, one of the biggest mistakes of my past?_ Would it make you feel better?"

Her defensive snap took him by surprise. "Yeah, maybe it would, I guess."

"I didn't know it was such a big deal. Does it really matter?"

"It is not, but the fact that you kept it-"

"The fact that I kept it?" Jenna echoed and then snorted shaking her head. "You know what? I didn't find out about your vampire of an ex until she attempted to rip my head off. Were you ever planning to tell me about her if it didn't happen? Yeah, let's talk about trust, Ric." And she knew it was too much, and she knew that it was time to stop, and that it was a cheap blow because his face turned into a mask of pain momentarily but she was too sick and tired of all these secrets and half-truths and whispered lies that she just couldn't care less. Gee, she thought she was over it already! "This could be a nice head start."

"That's different."

"Of course it is," she agreed easily, the tone of her voice sour, "because me not telling you about one unfortunate relationship that deserves nothing but to be scratched out of history cannot possibly be compared to you not mentioning a bunch of killing creatures, one of whom accidentally happens to be Elena's boyfriend, running around the town."

Yeah, this was when she probably overstepped the border, what with her voice ringing with long-kept emotions. But the way he was looking at her for no – well, not really big – reason hurt so damn much that it made Jenna want to scream. It felt so wrong, so bad. It couldn't have been them. It shouldn't have been happening. But it was, and she was losing control, and not being able to do anything about it left her so desperate, so endlessly helpless.

One minute – and she was losing the best thing that had happened in her life. Why would it have to be like that?

"And you just _have_ to live together?" It was simply mean but it slipped out of his mouth before he couldn't stop it even though Ric couldn't understand why he was taking it like that in the first place.

Jenna cringed inwardly. It was meant to be a question, and she knew it, but it wasn't, and being so thick with sarcasm, it felt like a sucker punch. "It's not like I can kick him out of his brother's house that doesn't even belong to me," she voiced the obvious and kicked herself mentally for letting her feelings slip. She wasn't supposed to. But it was a dead end. It definitely felt like it.

To that Alaric didn't know what to say, the words flashed and died in his mind before he could actually form a coherent thought that wouldn't taste foul in his mouth.

For a very long while, they just stood there several feet away from each other looking at one another not able to move or break the silence, and then all of a sudden Jenna felt so tired and overwhelmed with everything that it just stopped having any matter. All her fury and rage, so hot and blinding, were gone as fast as they came, and only a wish to hole up somewhere until everything was over remained leaving her drained and empty.

"Ric…" she started in a tired voice.

But then he was speaking, too, and when he said, "I think I should leave now," all she could do was nod if a little absently trying to ignore the pain that swallowed her at the sound of his words, and say in oddly calm and detached voice, "Yes, you probably should."

**To be continued…

* * *

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**A/N: **Reviews, comments, opinions are always appreciated :) Thank you!


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's note**: It's long, again. I know. Many words. Give it a chance :) I am not always happy with what I write but this one is rather good IMO :) Drama + bromance is a win/win no? And again – thanks a lot for your interest :)

* * *

**Chapter 9**

Alaric slammed the book shut when it occurred to him that he was reading one and the same page for the last thirty minutes and still didn't move past the first paragraph, his eyes staring sightlessly at the lines of words the meaning of which was way past his perception. He buried his face in his hands for a moment, then raked his fingers through his hair and fall heavily against the back of the chair as it creaked softly beneath him. His gaze drifted to the window and he idly observed the front yard outside, empty for the most part.

His classes had finished a while ago although at some point he lost track of time and couldn't say for sure how much time had passed since then, exactly. Couldn't have been too long ago, Ric thought absently. Late November sun was hanging low in the sky approaching the horizon line. It was filtering through the open blinds making the furniture in the classroom cast long funny shadows that crossed the floor and the walls forming an eerie pattern. But it still was high enough to figure that the time was hardly past four in the afternoon.

Well, chances were the time had just stopped, Alaric thought ruefully and let out a long exasperated sigh. It wouldn't surprise him, not even a little. On that note, nothing would ever surprise him again, period.

Still staring out the window, he leaned forward and propped himself on his elbows. It would probably make sense to try and collect his thoughts together and try to sort them out somehow. The only problem was that he had no idea where to start.

He didn't remember much of what had happened between him leaving the Gilberts' house in the morning and now as if his mind had just blacked out. During his classes he'd been speaking automatically and was probably making some sense even. Either that, or no one noticed the difference. Or didn't care, come to think of it, which was totally fine with him. To be honest, he didn't give a crap either assuming that his mind was focused on one thing only, as if the time froze and couldn't move forward past one episode.

It was like a nightmare, only he couldn't rely on awakening to have it gone. The details of the morning events were as bright and fresh as ever and he kept replaying them over and over and over again as if trying to see something that he didn't see at first. Or something that would make it look any different. Read – fruitlessly trying to understand what the hell his reaction was about.

Was it the fact that Jenna didn't tell him about John, or that it was _John_? Why? For Christ's sake, why did it have to be John Gilbert? Of all people… Ric scoffed humorlessly. Like a tease, huh? First Isobel, now Jenna. All linked to John Gilbert. It was at the very least… what? Cruel? Unfair? _Karma_, he thought with a mental snort. As if there was no way for John Gilbert to escape sleeping with his women.

Ric shut his eyes tight for a moment erasing the images from his head before he actually started to lose his mind as the anger kept rising in hot waves and boiling inside of him. The thing that bothered him most though was that he had no idea who he was angry at – John, for the very fact of his existence; Jenna, for not telling him about her relationship with her brother-in-law; or himself, for a very, very long list of reasons which he didn't really want to go into. Like it wasn't messed up enough already!

Well, she didn't lie to him, Ric had to admit, and flinched inwardly. It simply didn't come up and technically speaking, it was another thing entirely. He knew that she would never lie him to his face if he had asked her. Jenna and lying… she had an issue about honestly, past mistakes considered, and he had to give her that. Especially when he couldn't brag about his own openness, and he also couldn't blame her for bringing up his past faults either. The thing was, he'd never think of asking because he would never ever be able to imagine something as horrible as that. Not even in the worst of the nightmares, and face it – he knew all about them.

He knew she told the truth about it being long over, too. Alaric could see it. Feel it even, if you please. When she was with him… he just _knew_ it. Besides, from what he had a pleasure to witness and observe, Jenna pretty much despised John, and since he always shared the feeling, he didn't find it surprising and never asked any questions. She was a smart woman after all, and she was not blind. So, he just assumed that they had some family issues or a different view on Elena and Jeremy's future or whatever other issues two different people could have. He never gave much thinking to it, not wanting to get into something that wasn't his business. Now though, it all gained a whole new shade to it and of course it made him wonder—

_Wonder_. He shook his head amused by the word. It wasn't some damned curiosity, for crying out loud! He was _jealous_ like never before in his entire life and it was eating him from the inside. He was jealous and he was hurt because he trusted her, and she…

She did _what_?

Alaric let out a long breath. With all the things going on with Isobel – all the thoughts coursing through his head regarding her offer and everything that she'd said to him – did he have any right to accuse Jenna of anything at all? He wanted to, yes, but wasn't it blaming his own faults on her just because he felt so bad about not being completely honest with her? After all, there were some things he didn't tell her about. Like Logan. Like that vampire's bite on her neck on the night of the car crash.

Oh boy, she would never ever let him get away with that!

But the whole self-loathing thing aside, the truth was that despite himself, Alaric started questioning everything else. Was there anything else that she kept him in the darkness about? Could she? _Would_ she?

The thought caused a pang of guilt in his chest and he screwed his eyes tight and pinched the bridge of his nose pushing it away. She wouldn't and she didn't. And he knew it. He knew _her_ well enough to be sure about something like that. The expression of her face when they were talking a few hours ago spoke volumes. There was… defeat. He hurt her and he hated himself for it, and if there was a way to make it any worse, he didn't know how.

And yet, he turned around and left, and thinking about it now, he had to admit that he had no idea why he did it. He had no bloody idea why this discovery was such a big deal in the first place. They weren't high school kids. Each of them had a baggage of the past relationships, and it was a heavy one, too. After all, it was he who had a vampire of an ex who attacked Jenna. It was he who didn't tell her the whole truth from the start, if only for her won safety. She was so damn right about all of that!

So was it really about John Gilbert then? Was the idea of him being involved with both women that meant a lot to Ric so unbearable that he could walk away like that because of it? His head started to spin when the thought crossed his mind. Or was it because he needed _an excuse_ to walk away from Jenna now because it suddenly turned out that he wasn't exactly over Isobel and needed time to sort out this whole situation with her? He could be lying to anyone about it, but what was point of lying to himself?

Well, it wasn't anyone's fault that it happened in the first place, right? Neither Isobel's, nor Jenna's. It wasn't like any of them did it on purpose to rub it in Alaric's face years later. It was just a coincidence. Cruel and unpleasant, but coincidence all the same.

So what the hell was wrong with him?

_I didn't find out about your vampire of an ex until she attempted to rip my head off. Were you ever planning to tell me about her if it didn't happen?_

Alaric rubbed his face with his hands. Another thing he preferred to avoid thinking about.

He didn't know the answer to that question. He'd rather not to if only because he cared enough to want to protect her. God knew it was safer for her to stay away from the darker side of life in Mystic Falls. And hadn't things changed so dramatically, he'd be tempted to keep it that way. Which of course wasn't speaking in favor of his best qualities, or whatever. He couldn't imagine dragging Jenna into all of this and turning her life upside down just because. She deserved better than this.

But then again…. Ric pressed the heels of his palms into his eyelids. He knew he wouldn't be able to lie to her forever, didn't he? No relationship built on lies and secrets stood a chance to survive and he – Ric let out a sigh – he really wanted it to work. For the first time in a very long while something good happened to him. Something that was finally making sense. Something that felt so damn good!

And then there was John Gilbert, damn him! And he was living right there with her, in the same house, and maybe—

Alaric cut himself off, his mind practically on fire by this moment. Abruptly, he stood up. The legs of the chair scraped against the floor and the back of it hit the board behind him. The sound echoed loudly in the empty room as he crossed it and walked up to the window in several brisk strides to peer outside. Most of the trees stood naked already, their crooked branches reaching out for the sky and swaying in the light breeze. Those that were not, looked like bright-yellow and orange spots on the grayish background. Dead leaves of all colors from pale-yellow to dark-red were scattered all over the still green grass of the yard.

Any other time he'd probably find the picture peaceful and maybe a little sad. For some reason he had always loved autumn the most. Its slow pace and serenity, always a new beginning. Now though it seemed to be almost disturbing. He could no longer see the beauty of it. Come to think of it, he couldn't see much of it at all, period. His feverish mind was not able to focus on anything. Restlessly, Alaric shifted from foot to foot.

So what now? Where was it putting them?

What if it was a sign, too? He tried to push the thought away but failed. Not that he was into the whole fate and signs thing but come on! Why would all of that be happening the way it was in any other case? Isobel and their conversation, the truth about Jenna and John's relationship—

_Past_ relationship, he reminded himself as his hands balled into fists against his will.

He was going crazy…

Soft rap on the door made Ric snap back and he turned around to see a guy from the MF High football team whose name didn't come to his might straight away scan the classroom until his eyes stopped at him.

"Mr. Saltzman?" He started if a little uncertainly.

Right, the coaching. So that was why he was still here. It totally slipped his mind, which wasn't that surprising after all.

It took Ric a moment to collect his thoughts together. "Um…" His gaze darted towards the clock hanging above the chalk-board. "I'm coming. Sorry. I'll be right there."

The guy – Josh? Yeah, Josh – hovered in the doorway for a few seconds, and then nodded curtly and walked away.

Alaric threw one last glance out the window noting that the sky was somewhat purplish by now and the last rays of sun kept clinging to the low clouds and then turned away. He needed time for the thoughts to settle. They would talk later and work it out, one way or another. For now, the best thing he could do was to live one minute at a time.

Having a poor imitation of a plan formed in his head, Ric walked out of the class, locked the door and headed for the change room.

* * *

Jenna's feet felt cold. The chilliness was slowly coming up her calves and spreading over her body. It wasn't bad or uncomfortable, just strange, and absently she wondered where it was coming from, what with her attention unfocused and her mind foggy. If only she could concentrate a little harder, if only because she was curious…

Her eyes snapped open as if someone flipped the switch and she gasped for breath as everything swayed a little around her and she reached out for something to hold onto to keep her balance, the movement more reflexive than conscious. Her fingers brushed against cold and sleek surface and she grasped at it blinking and waiting for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, not sure for a couple of seconds if she was awake or still dreaming.

And then it took her a moment to absorb the fact that she was standing in the middle of the kitchen clutching at the isle counter for support and the moonlight was streaming through the window above the sink reflecting in metal objects and coating everything with pale silvery light. Jenna span around half-expecting to see someone else there with her because the feeling that something was watching her from behind was there and it was almost physical, like a touch. But the kitchen was empty and the house remained silent, except for the purr of the fridge and soft ticking of the clock in the living room.

Absently, Jenna looked down herself. She was wearing an oversized t-shirt and shorts – the outfit she changed into before going to bed a few hours ago. Which of course was good thing perhaps but it could hardly explain how she ended up here if the last thing she remembered was switching off the reading lamp on the bedside table. And it was only then that she noticed that she was holding something in her free hand, her fingers closed around it so tight that it almost hurt. Her breath hitched in her throat when she lifted her hand up and saw a bread knife. Its blade – long and sharp – winked at her catching and reflecting the moonlight like a mirror.

Horrified, she tossed it aside as if it was something disgusting, and it fell to the tiled floor with a loud metal _ting_ and slid away to the far corner of the kitchen.

Jenna let out a long breath and leaned heavily against the counter propping herself on her elbows and resting her forehead against the knot of her clasped together hands as she kept taking one short breath after another concentrated on the flow of air in and out of her lungs and counting in her mind. A rush of adrenaline in her body was making her knees tremble slightly and blood pounded in her ears creating that numbing buzz, and she wasn't sure she'd be able to stand straight without collapsing to the tiled floor.

_Okay, just calm down now_, she told herself. Except that she was losing it and she knew it. Not the most consoling thought but how else could she explain the sleepwalking? She tried to remember if she had any dreams before waking up here – anything that could make it any more reasonable – but there was nothing, only blackness and emptiness. Either a dreamless sleep or her mind erased it from her memory.

And it wasn't the first time either, Jenna thought with growing dread and swallowed. Two nights ago she woke up exactly like that, standing with her hand on the door knob in the hall, with a hoody pulled over her pajama and car keys clutched in her hand. She forgot to put on some shoes but who would think about something like that while not being awake, exactly?

It freaked her out back then. What would she do if she didn't wake up? Where would she go? Would she actually drive somewhere in her sleep? And how on earth could it possibly end? She could quite easily drive right into the concrete wall and be happy about it.

After that Jenna spent the rest of the night drinking one mug of coffee after another, more or less eager to drown herself in it. Or just drown herself, period. She tried to think logically, past her panic and fear, attempting to analyze what had happened from the rational point of view and sticking to the facts as she tried to calm herself down.

But she was frightened and tired so it didn't work. Instead, she ended up darting her gaze at the clock every few seconds willing the arrows to move faster and listening to the sounds of the old house around her. Creaks and whispers she never paid much attention to were now having some eerie subtext to them, making her blood run cold at the thought that something could be hiding there in the shadows. Whether it was exhaustion or her overheated imagination, she couldn't help feeling a thousand of eyes staring at her as her mind played tricks on her driving her nuts.

By the time the dawn broke at last and the sky started to turn pale blue in the east, Jenna was on the verge of a serious breakdown and her mind was practically exploding from all the thoughts coursing through it. She was a nervous wreck wish a mess in her head and paranoia, and mentally she swore off any sleep in the nearest future.

She slept like a stone the following night though. Despite her intentions to stay awake and two gallons of coffee, she simply blacked out. Must have been the way her body took care of itself when she came to a point of extreme exhaustion, physical and mental. It was as if she simply fell into the bottomless black abyss, but at least she felt rested and more or less alive the next morning, and that she was grateful for.

She swallowed the urge to talk to Elena about it. Not after all these hours that she spent assuring herself that it was nothing but some freaky accident. And assuming that there was no sleepwalking the following night, she foolishly considered it to be a one-time thing and hurried to write it off to stress and overall anxiety of the past weeks.

God, could she ever be more wrong?

Slowly, Jenna straightened up as if not sure she could actually keep herself in the upright position and swept the kitchen with yet another glance. Everything seemed to be as usual, she decided distractedly. In fact, it was so _usual_ that she couldn't wrap her mind around it.

She reached out for the glass and filled it with water but then had to put it aside almost immediately. Her hands were shaking and the idea of consuming something even if it was just water was nauseating. She took a few deep breaths to try and calm herself down. Not that it was helping much but she had to do something or at least create an illusion.

Back then, two nights ago, her first instinct was to call Alaric. She even reached for the phone without so much as a second thought because it was something almost as natural as breathing, until her hand froze over it when a small evil voice inside of her head reminded Jenna that there was no Ric anymore and she was one on one with all of that. Her heart constricted at the thought and she curled her fingers into a fist. Her nails dug painfully into soft flesh of her palm but she couldn't care less. She was going crazy and she was all alone.

Okay, scratch that. _Someone_ was driving her crazy, that Jenna was sure of. Someone out there was watching her, following her, and wanting her to believe that she was losing the remains of her sanity. And she had no clue how to stop it. And she was scared.

What was she going to do with this knife if she didn't wake up? What if tomorrow she'd go to the bathroom in her sleep and cut her veins in the bathtub or swallow a pack of sleeping pills and down them with that bottle of Grayson's favorite whiskey that she knew was still standing in the cupboard because it had the most disgusting taste ever? Or worse – what if she tried to hurt Jeremy and Elena in their sleep and they wouldn't even notice? What if it was exactly what she was going to do now?

The thought made her sick and she swallowed hard feeling that her head started to spin as a mother of all headaches began to form behind her eyes. At this point she might as well go and lock herself up in a room with padded walls for everyone else's sake. Or better – ask someone to lock her up to make sure she wouldn't get out.

Short bitter chuckle escaped Jenna's lips. Yeah, right, here's to positive thinking, huh?

_Come on, Sommers, you can be an adult for once and deal with all that crap without whining, can't you? _

And then she almost had a heart attack when someone flipped on the light behind her back.

She whirled around to a familiar, "Jenna?" and couldn't help letting out a sigh of relief.

"Elena," she mustered a small uncertain smile trying to cope with accelerated heartbeat and somewhat forced breath. "You scared me."

"What are you doing here?" Elena frowned.

"I-" _kind of woke up here although I still hope that it was only some stupid teleportation like in cheap sci-fi movies and not some vamp messing with my brain in order to make me go and kill somebody. Maybe even myself_. Her eyes flickered to the glass of water. "—came down to have something to drink. Why are you up?"

"I heard… something," she rubbed sleepily at her eyes and stifled a yawn. "So technically speaking, you scared me first." To that Jenna responded with a crooked smirk. "I thought you were staying at Ric's tonight."

Jenna's heart clenched. _I wish!_ "No, not tonight," she attempted to sound casual.

Obviously, not casual enough because Elena didn't seem to buy it as her eyes searched Jenna's face. "Are you guys okay?"

Jenna hesitated. "Yeah, we're—we're fine," she faked a weak smile hoping she'd manage to joke it off one way or another. "It's just-" Rubbed at her forehead tiredly and then smiled a little more genuinely than before. "Some stuff keeps piling up, and my paper… I'm a little stuck, and on top of everything else…" she trailed off and shrugged. "You know."

"I kind of do," Elena grimaced.

"You should go to bed."

"What about you?"

_We don't happen to have a guest room with padded walls, do we?_

"I think I better watch TV for a while," Jenna nodded towards the living room. Paused for a moment as her gaze wandered around the kitchen, and then walked up to the coffee machine deliberately keeping her eyes off of the knife that was still lying by the counter and trying not to go into what a bad sign it was to drink coffee in the middle of the night because she was _scared_ of going to bed. "Need to switch my mind to something else," she explained giving Elena a look over her shoulder. "Some middle of the night low budget comedy could help, I guess."

"I could stay with you," Elena offered willingly.

"No, I'm fine, really." Jenna ran her fingers through her hair feeling almost physical urge to call Alaric. "And at least one of us should be able to drive tomorrow."

Reluctantly, Elena nodded even though her eyes remained suspicious but she didn't push. "Okay then, try not to make it a habit."

"Trust me on that."

In the living room, Jenna sank down onto the leather couch and reached out to turn on the reading lamp. She leaned her glass of water against her forehead hoping it would cool down her overheated mind. As if it could really help. As if anything could.

A week ago her biggest problem in life was having nightmares that she couldn't explain. It was funny how the tables could turn. Complaining about some harmless nightmares was almost like a dream now that she had a real problem that she also had to figure out how to solve. Without self-decapitation.

Her gaze slid idly along the room not fixing on anything in particular. Coffee machine beeped behind her back but she barely registered the sound. There should be a way to put an end to it. Whoever was doing it to her – there should be something she could do to stop it. Well, she didn't know where to begin and it was kind of a problem. But at least she was positive that she wasn't losing her mind just because, and it was definitely a bright side. In any case, she could either deal with it or go jump off the roof, Jenna thought sourly. And when did she get so optimistic, again?

Well, for starters she might as well stop feeling sorry for herself. And just to make it a little more exciting, she would have to find out how long a human being could last without sleep.

* * *

It was the smell of the wet concrete and a rough surface her cheek was pressed against that woke her up. Slowly, she opened her eyes and blinked a few times not quite sure she was actually awake. It was more like a dream. Or – assuming her whereabouts – a nightmare.

It was cold. She was lying on the floor and her right shoulder and neck hurt from uncomfortable position her body stayed in for god knows how long. It took her about half a minute and a great deal of self-reassurance to actually turn her head because she thought her neck would just snap. Moving wasn't such a good idea. As soon as her muscles flexed, sharp pain shot through her making her grimace involuntarily.

Hollie Matthews, sophomore student of Mystic Falls High, had no idea how she ended up here, wherever _here_ was, feeling like that. The last thing she remembered was changing into her jeans and a t-shirt and stuffing her cheerleader's costume into her beg. She tied her chestnut hair in a perky pony-tail and pulled on her jeans jacket knowing that the temperature must have dropped by the evening. She was only a short walk away from her car but she didn't want to risk getting cold and ending up a sore throat or something else nasty. Not with the game that was planned for the next weekend and that she was really looking forward to. Everyone left about half an hour ago but she stayed behind wanting to work on some elements without anyone watching so that she could actually concentrate. Now that she actually was on the team, she didn't want to screw it up.

The night was clear, and she couldn't help smiling at the sight of the starts scattered around the pitch-black sky above her. She air was cold and fresh and she inhaled deeply as she stepped outside and closed the door behind her back slinging the strap of her bag over her shoulder.

"Excuse me," a voice behind her back stopped Hollie in her tracks when she was half-way to her car making her turn. "I must have taken the wrong turn. Do you know how I can get back to Maple Street?"

…Not without effort she pushed herself up into a sitting position. Her arms were tied and her wrists were bruised and hurting from the tight rope holding them together. She looked around fighting to see something in semi-darkness. It was a cellar or a warehouse of some sort. The air was dump and heavy. She saw the pipes running along the ceiling and somewhere in the distance the water was dropping on something metal, or so she thought when she registered the sound. Hollie pushed her hair off of her face and swallowed hard trying to ignore the dizziness and nausea that tolled in her stomach.

"Well, hello!"

She whirled around to the sound of the voice and her eyes grew wide with fear. "No, please," she mumbled hoarsely, her throat was dry and felt like sandpaper. "Please, don't hurt me." Lopsidedly, she scooted over until her back was pressed against rough wall as she wished she would merge into it. Her heart pounded so loud that she could barely hear anything beside it.

Her captor smiled revealing two long fangs that stood out too much to miss them.

"Goodbye!"

* * *

Jenna lifted her hand, paused for a moment and then knocked. She shifted from foot to foot feeling antsy and fighting a wish to run away before it was too late.

It had been a week. He never called like she half-expected him to. Okay, to hell with _half_ – she ended up going to the bathroom with her phone out of fear to miss the call. And how not cool was that? A few times she picked it up to make a call herself, pride or whatever aside, but she didn't know what to say. If, of course, there was anything left at all, which she wasn't that sure of. Jenna couldn't help thinking that he made a point by going off the radar. Which was so much worse than the fight itself. Which was probably worse than any fight.

Okay then, he needed time. She gave it to him. Maybe she needed some as well. Apparently, she wasn't as over the whole Isobel and the vampires thing as she thought she were. But she knew herself and she knew that eventually it would settle. The thing was, she believed in them from the start. Yet, she wasn't blind or oblivious. She saw that something was wrong with him and knew that he didn't leave the past behind just yet. Some part of him was still clinging onto it. And it wasn't something she could do for him no matter how much she'd want to. In order to move on, he had to deal with it on his own. And the whole thing between them – maybe it wasn't the right time for it, as much as it hurt to think so. But in order to get to "let's take a pause and just let it be", they really needed to come clean about what was going on.

She could deal with it of course. Only not now when her mind was literary exploding from all the other things crowding it. Not with some vampire breathing down her neck. It was just too much, and she had to finally scratch at least one thing out of the list, for better or for worse. So, they needed to talk and get it over with for good.

Jenna took a breath and then exhaled slowly. She didn't call, partly out of fear that he would find a thousand and one reasons not to pick up, and partly because she couldn't bring herself to actually do it. And now, standing before the door to Alaric's apartment and counting seconds in her mind, she wondered if a little belatedly if it was a big mistake after all. But the truth was, this five-minutes-long spur-of-a-moment drive to his place with the lamest excuse ever took just this much out of her to think anything through properly.

_Scram!_

But as soon as the thought crossed her mind, the lock on the other side clicked and the door burst open to reveal Ric standing on the other side in his faded jeans and grey long-sleeved t-shirt. His hair was a little rumpled as if he kept running his fingers through it every now and then. A subconscious gesture. Exactly the way she remembered. It was funny how some of his habits got stuck in her head when she didn't even pay much attention to them. Not on purpose at least.

He looked rather tired too, she noted somewhat absently but not without concern. These dark circles under his eyes definitely weren't there the last time she saw him. He looked… weary, and Jenna would lie to herself if she denied the fact that her heart skipped a beat. Hell, her heart was pounding so hard that she was pretty sure that Ric, as well as everyone within a five-mile radius around them, could hear it.

"Jenna?"

_Just do it!_

"Hi," she mustered the lousiest imitation of a smile ever and regretted not calling momentarily.

Or coming here at all, come to think of it. What exactly kept her from never talking to him again? He did seem to be surprised but if she was any good at reading facial expressions, it wasn't a "_I'm so happy to see you_" surprise. Not even close. In fact, he seemed to be quite thrown by her visit, and Jenna wondered where the rewind button was when she needed it most.

"I'm sorry for coming unannounced-"

"Is everything okay?" He was all on alarm by the second, his eyes searched her face pensively.

"Yeah, I-" _just feel kinda stupid. Like, really, because the real reason why I came here is that I missed you and wanted to see you. Now open the dictionary and find my photo near the definition of Pathetic_. "It's just for a moment."

"Um, sure… Come in."

"Thanks." She stepped inside and stopped. Took a breath and willed herself to sound casual. "My earrings… they should be somewhere on the nightstand or on the dresser. I forgot them here."

It took him a moment to process her words because over that minute that had passed since he opened the door, his mind willingly offered him a bunch of the disasters that could have happened, most of them involving some creatures of the night in one way or another. And when the moment of panic was over – what with her looking physically unharmed and all – he couldn't help hoping that she had the guts to do what he should have done, like, six days ago.

But… _earrings_? Seriously?

"Oh, sure." Ric gestured at her to feel free and go wherever she wanted keeping disappointment back.

"No, it's fine. I'll wait here if you can just bring them." _And ten points for good act!_ She linked her fingers together to make it less obvious that they were trembling.

Ric hesitated for a moment, but then nodded and walked away to come back half a minute later. Reached out and dropped two small pieces of gold and pearls into her open palm. Their fingers brushed accidentally and Jenna hurried to close her hand around her jewelry as if the touch of his skin burned or electrocuted her. She was aware that he noticed it too but even her skills at suppressing her feelings weren't _that_ spectacular.

"Thanks," she took her time to put them in her bag.

Alaric watched her in silence not knowing what to say. To be honest, there were not that many words that came to mind, except that… did she actually just jerk her hand away?

That, and that she was damn beautiful. And that he missed her so bad that he could barely stand it, and that he felt like a fool, too. And that this week was the longest in his life and he drove past her house several times hoping to catch a glimpse of her. And that he couldn't get her out of her mind even for a minute. And that the realization was so scary that he couldn't pick up the bloody phone and dial her number even though his hands literary itched to do it, if only because he wanted to hear the sound of her voice on the other end of the line. And that it hurt to stand a couple of feet apart now and feel miles between them. It was unbearable.

Jenna glanced up and let their eyes meet. "Look, about the other day," she started. "I said the things I shouldn't have." She paused trying to read his reaction. "And also, I should have told you about John perhaps." Cut off and shook her head. "Okay, scratch that. No perhaps. I should have told you, period." She chuckled humorlessly. "But I didn't. Mainly because it never meant anything. Even back then it was just a mistake and nothing else. And I am sorry for keeping it from you."

_Well done! Dignity is still intact, mostly_.

He didn't say anything at once, and for the next half a minute all Alaric could do was just watch her and feel like an idiot.

_Ooookay_, Jenna nodded mentally. _Now scram!_

But just when she was about to turn around and reach for the knob, he spoke.

"No, it's me who should be apologizing." He caught her gaze and held it feeling that his mouth had suddenly gone dry. Stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans if only to do _something, _feeling out of place all of a sudden. "I overreacted and I don't know why. It—came out of nowhere and it took me by surprise, so… I'm sorry, Jenna. I shouldn't have-" _been so stupid_. He trailed off and cleared his throat to fill in the pause.

_Good start! Now tell her that you were a jerk and that you didn't mean to hurt her, and that you miss her and want her back badly. And beg for forgiveness__, for Christ's sake!_

Only the words had left his mind, and before Alaric managed to collect them back again, Jenna dropped the bomb, "So, this thing between us—it doesn't really work with all these secrets, huh?" She let a small rueful smile touch her lips as she lowered her eyes for a moment before locking them on his face once again.

And honestly, she might have as well punched him in the solar plexus, and still it wouldn't suck all the air out of his lungs as effectively as her words did. Ric swallowed hard feeling that his heart plummeted down into his stomach where it continued to thud oddly tuning up to his hitched breath.

He waited for a moment watching her closely not wanting to believe that she was serious, and then nodded slowly as all the things that he wanted to say became meaningless.

"Yeah, I guess it doesn't," he echoed in a voice that sounded odd and distant to his own ears. Well, if that was what she wanted… Awkward silence fell between them for a moment as none knew what else to say before Ric asked, "So… this is it then?" Hoping wildly that she would just laugh it off and say that it was nothing but a very-bad-not-at-all-funny joke. Or do something else _impossible_.

Of course she didn't.

"I don't know, Ric" Jenna said honestly shaking her head and breaking eye contact for a moment before looking up at him again. "I guess it is. I can't do it without you trusting me, and you don't." She took a breath to continue. "I'm sorry, but I just can't."

Well, she almost pulled it off, didn't she?

He didn't say anything, just nodded conceding her point, or whatever, and wondered absently how many nods away was his head from actually falling off. Not many, he hoped. Truth be told, he was sure that his adequate perception of reality turned off somewhere between "_It doesn't really work_" and "_I just can't_". The rest didn't really matter.

"Okay then," Jenna adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder. "I better go now."

She was out the door before Ric knew and he stepped into the hallway after her. "Jenna?"

She stopped and turned around. "Yeah?"

_Come on! Do something! __Say something! Anything! _

For a moment he just watched her standing in the pool of the light cast by the mid-afternoon sun streaming through the hall windows. It was tangling in her honey hair making it look like a halo around her head. Making Jenna look almost surreal. Making him lose the train of his thought again.

"Take care, okay?" He said at last.

"Sure," she offered him an almost close to real smile and he couldn't help feeling the warmth radiating from it. "You, too. With all those blood-thirsty creatures crawling in the dark."

To that Ric had to smile, too. Couldn't help it, really.

And then she was gone leaving a subtle whiff of her perfume hanging in the air. Numbly, Alaric returned to his apartment and locked the door. Outside, he could hear the engine of her car rev to life. And it was then that something inside of him collapsed.

~ _Falling a thousand feet per second_

_You still take me by surprise_

_I just know we can't be over_

_I can see it in your eyes_

_Making every kind of silence_

_Takes a lot to realize_

_It's worse to finish than to start all over_

_And never let it lie_

_And as long as I can feel you holding on_

_I won't fall_

_Even if you said I was wrong_

"_Perfect" by Hedley_ ~

* * *

Elena put her mug with a steaming hot tea onto the counter and went to retrieve peanut butter and jelly from the cupboard while waiting for the slices of bread to pop out of the toaster. She set both jars down by her mug and fetched a plate from the dish holder near the sink, opened the drawer to find a knife… and straightened up when Jeremy walked into the kitchen heading for the back door.

"Jer, where are you going?"

"Out," he called back without so much as a look at her.

"When are you going to be back?"

"Dunno," he shrugged pulling on his jacket and reached for the door handle.

"Jeremy-" Elena started towards him, her voice bearing a warning.

He stopped and turned to look at her, slightly annoyed. "What? I'll be back when I feel like it. You're not mom, Elena, so stop bossing me around, okay?"

The retort took Elena aback. "Of course I am not. Not one is. And I am not bossing you around, I am worried about you."

Jeremy scoffed, unconvinced. "Because of the vampire killings in town that you accidentally forgot to tell me about? Yeah, I got that so don't worry!"

She froze, swallowing the questions and feverishly trying to come up with the best way to wiggle out of the situation. "I don't want you to get involved with any of that," she said at least.

"So, it's true then." He shook his head. "And it never occurred to you that I am sort of involved by definition?"

Elena let out an exasperated sigh as she came closer and put her hands on the back of one of the chairs by the dining table. She was tired of fighting with him all the time but had no idea how to get it all fixed. Jeremy had a reason to be mad at her for letting Damon take his memories about what had happened to Vicki away and she honestly couldn't hold it against him. Wouldn't she be if the same thing happened to her? But the way he kept stubbornly refusing to see the story through her eyes was making her feel helpless and desperate. Couldn't he get over himself for once?

"Look, I just don't want you to get hurt, is all."

"Well, you keeping things from me kinda hurts, you know."

And how could he be so childish and immature? Unexpected wave of frustration swept over her.

"Would you please try to remember sometimes that the world is not just about you, Jeremy?" She asked and her voice rang with bitterness.

He snorted. "Well, it might be a surprise, but just for the record – it's not about you either, Elena. And whoever told you otherwise was wrong." He jerked the door open.

"Stop it, Jer! Stop being like that!" She snapped.

"Like what?"

"Selfish and irresponsible!"

"So, this is how it is called now?"

"This is how it was called always. Except that you're not 10 anymore. And life is not only about what you want. It's a little more complicated than that now. And mom and dad are not here to just let it slip anymore!"

"Don't drag mom and dad into it!"

Elena ignored him though. "There are people who care about you, Jeremy, whether you want it or not, and you might as well try and be a little less self-centered."

"You know what-" Jeremy started but the click of the lock and the sound of the door being opened and then closed that came from the hallway cut him off and made them both turn that way and crane their necks curiously.

Jenna paused for a moment at the base of the staircase and she saw them standing in the kitchen across the table from each other, her gaze shifted from one to another and then back. "Hey, guys," she gave them a small wave and a pretty fake smile, and headed upstairs.

For a few seconds they just listened to the sound of her footfalls before turning to look at one another once again.

"What had just happened?" Jeremy asked warily.

"I… don't know," Elena replied uncertainly.

"She must have heard us, right?"

"Yep." _As well as probably half of the block._

"And she didn't say anything?"

"Not a word."

"You think it's serious?"

Elena chewed on her lower lip, let her eyes dart upwards. "I better go find out."

"Elena-" Jeremy started.

"Just be careful, okay?" She asked giving him a quick look over the shoulder on the way out.

Upstairs, Elena paused at the door to the master bedroom before rapping her knuckles on it. Waited for a moment and then pushed it open when no answer came from the inside.

"Jenna?" She called out cautiously as her gaze swept across the room.

Jenna was sitting on the floor with her back leaning against the bed and her legs crossed as she stared sightlessly out the window.

Elena hesitated in the doorway, uncertain, and then walked inside. Closed the door, came up to Jenna and lowered herself down to sit beside her. Jenna didn't acknowledge her appearance in any way and for a while they just sat there, none eager to speak first

"So… what's wrong?" Elena asked at last turning fully to her aunt when her curiosity mixed with growing anxiety peaked. Jenna was too much of a peace-maker to let the fight downstairs slip just like that. Not to mention this whole silent time.

"Nothing."

"Okay," she drawled in agreement. "Let's try again and skip the _it's nothing_ part. What's going on, Jenna?"

Jenna dropped her gaze down to her hands that lay in her lap, her lips quirked into a rueful humorless smirk. "Ric and I…," she inhaled sharply. "It's over."

"What?" Elena blinked and took her time to run the words through her head again as if she wasn't sure she heard them correctly the first time. She couldn't have been serious. No way! "I… don't understand—why? What happened?"

"It just didn't work," Jenna let out in a whoosh of breath and shrugged half-heartedly.

"And?" After a short pause because some elaboration was kind of a must.

"And that's it." Not that there was anything else left to say.

Elena studied her thoughtfully before asking carefully, "Are you okay?"

Short bitter chuckle escaped Jenna's lips. "Define _okay_."

"Point taken."

"Well, he was only what, the best guy I've ever met in my entire life? Not a big deal, really," she shook her head and raked her fingers through her hair pushing it out of her hair and knowing that this time her voice betrayed her. _Right about time to offer a slumber party with ice-cream therapy! _

"Jenna-"

Elena reached out to cover Jenna's hand with hers and squeezed it a little, and there was just too much affection and sympathy in the gesture for Jenna to bear.

She turned away blinking, feeling that invisible hand squeezed her lungs from the inside, and bit her lower lip so hard that she felt metallic taste of blood in her mouth. And then she shook her head, turned back again and bumped her forehead into Elena's shoulder on a shallow convulsive exhale trying to breathe past that choking lump in her throat and waiting for the moment to pass. But then Elena's arms were around her, and before Jenna knew, she was crying in earnest hoping oh so much that it could actually help to ease the pain. If only a little.

* * *

Once inside the bar, Damon scanned the packed space catching bits and pieces of conversations here and there and noting absently that he remembered the song coming from the jukebox from 15 years ago. He didn't expect the bar to be so busy on Monday night but there he was, and no one around seemed to care less.

With the grace of a panther, he maneuvered his way across the restaurant part and past the pool tables to the far end where a few people were hanging out at the bar counter – either waiting for their orders, or not eager to join the buzz, as if turning their backs on the rest of the crowd kept them invisible to the world.

Effortlessly, Damon slid onto one of the tall stool at the far end of the counter and reached for the half-empty glass that stood in front of Alaric on the polished wooden surface. The ice-cubes clinked and Damon snorted as he studied rich amber liquid with genuine curiosity before putting it back and lifting his head up.

"What?" Ric asked in a flat voice not even pretending to be surprised, or interested, or whatever.

"Oh, well, just wondering what are you trying to drown in there," Damon's eyes flickered towards the drink once again. "Didn't find anything interesting by the way. Wanna share?"

Alaric dropped his gaze down. "It's nothing," he breathed out before taking a sip from his glass. Alcohol burned its way through his mouth and down his throat before settling heavily in his stomach as he waited for a familiar warmth to start spreading all over his body muting his senses. But for some reason it just didn't want to kick in tonight. All his thoughts and feelings were still there and he just hated it.

"Not convincing," Damon smirked and waved at the bar-tender _The same, double_ pointing at Ric's drink. "But we'll come back to your high-school drama later."

"Let me guess – you have a far more interesting story?"

"And you have no idea how much I wish I didn't," Damon grimaced.

"I'm all ears."

"I've just been to a hospital," Damon told him lowering his voice, nodded a thank you to the bar-tender when his drink arrived and took a gulp without so much of a blink of an eye.

Ric quirked up a brow in amazement. "Don't tell me you choked on your own venom," he scoffed.

"Ha-ha," the vampire regarded him darkly. "Funny."

"Well, it's not like it is your thing only," Alaric shrugged and gestured to order another glass. "So, what's with the hospital? And please tell me it is not some exciting story about how you steal blood bags. Not today."

"No, smart ass, it's about a guy who was attacked in the woods and got out alive."

Alaric tensed and turned to give Damon a suspicious look. "Attacked by whom?"

Damon rolled his eyes. "Any other stupid questions? If yes, spill now so that we could get it over with and move on to the serious stuff."

"A vampire?" Ric mouthed soundlessly.

"Now we're talking business!" Damon beamed with excitement. "Anyway, Liz called me when they found this guy on the highway practically bleeding to death and mumbling something about the monsters. As you can see, I had to find out what he knew." He shrugged then.

"And?"

"And now he thinks I was attacked by a bear."

"And – what did he see, Damon?"

"Oh, about that!" He drawled. "Well, he was coming back from the hunt, and the next thing he knew was that he was attacked by something with fangs and claws. You get the idea, right? But then his cell phone started to ring, and whatever he had for a ringtone saved his life. It spooked the vamp and gave our hero a chance to shoot his attacker a few times. He was in shock and didn't remember how he got to the highway but his memories about the attack were quite vivid." Damon finished his drink. "I had to correct them a little."

"Did he see who it was?" Ric tensed in anticipation. "Beside the whole claws and fangs thing."

"Nope," Damon huffed in annoyance. "He couldn't even say if it was a man or a woman, which could be so damn helpful! He was too scared and too… well, _bleeding_ to pay attention to details. Which on the other hand was not that bad because he didn't spill too much. At least Sheriff and her squad won't be surprised when they hear a brand new story tomorrow. Bear, monster – close things. Blame it all on painkillers."

"Do you have any _good_ news?" Alaric breathed out when Damon finished.

"No one died," the vampire reminded him eagerly.

"Okay, let me out it his way – are we sure that this vampire is the same one who is after Jenna?"

"No, but I hope so."

"Hope?" Ric asked in disbelief.

"Well, it _is_ better to think that there is only one psycho on the loose instead of a bunch of them, no? What he is doing with Jenna is a game, an entertainment. Feeding, on the other hand, is a routine. Plus, a great chance to compromise us all leaving unwanted witnesses all over the… forest. So yeah, I better consider it to be one and the same vampire until we know for sure that we're wrong."

"And if we are?"

"Then we're screwed," Damon announced with misplaced enthusiasm.

Ric hemmed. "And you got so optimistic when?"

"When I turned 75," he confided. "It was the turning point. I looked back and realized that life wasn't all about unicorns and fairy tales. On the bright side…"

"You're quite optimistic for a pessimist," Ric sneered. "That's just unbelievable."

"On the bright side," Damon pressed on deliberately ignoring him, "he got sloppy and started making mistakes. Of course it could be just a moment of a really bad luck but let's hope he'll do something else that will give him away." He wiggled his eyebrows and then regarded Ric speculatively. "And now that we're done with the fun part… How about you tell me what happened to you? I mean I know that the school can be depressing but you should have known what you were signing up for."

Alaric ignored the sarcasm. He wasn't in a mood for a banter. He wasn't in a mood for anything, to begin with. Come to think of it, he had no idea what he was still doing there. A crowd of strangers chatting around him, and music coming from the jukebox, and bursts of laughter, and constant buzz of voices – all of that was what he needed least at the moment.

But after Jenna was gone he found himself pacing around his apartment, restless, feeling that the walls were closing in on him until he started to suffocate. Once his eyes stopped at the open newspaper with the article about that missing girl, Hollie Matthews, that Ric was reading right before Jenna showed up, but as soon as his gaze moved to something else, it was out of his mind and he couldn't even remember what he found so interesting about it in the first place.

He found her book and a notepad that she left on the table a few days ago and obviously forgot about them, and he hadn't even paid any attention to it before because he was getting used to coming across her stuff every now and then without finding it odd anymore. Even the pillows on his bed bore a lingering scent of hers. As well as some of his shirts that Jenna used to pull on mindlessly "because they were comfortable", which he found both amusing and adorable. And he couldn't get the image out of his mind. That, and the easiness with which she walked away.

And that was why he simply couldn't stay there one on one with his thoughts making the noise of the bar and bits of conversations about nothing that he effortlessly blocked out a lot more preferable option. Although, he had to admit, they started to lose their appeal soon after he arrived. But Ric didn't know where else to go, what with him knowing that he would hardly be able to find any peace wherever he would go, and he didn't quite want to move, too.

Losing Isobel was the biggest and the most terrible and most consuming pain he could ever have imagined. He could say that it nearly killed him and it wouldn't be an exaggeration. But it also gave him strength. It gave him purpose. For two years his life was lined and planned. It was as simple as that – find the monster, kill it, feel good.

He never actually thought about what it would be like to cross that line. And now that his perfect plan fell to pieces, he had no idea what he was supposed to do with his life. Apparently, it was the journey that mattered, not the destination. Especially since he arrived at the wrong place and was having drinks with the said _monster_ that just couldn't stop cracking some lame jokes and that Alaric used to want to hunt down and kill more than anything.

Quite a dilemma, huh?

He had thought that finding Damon would settle things. That it would be the end. That he'd be satisfied with revenge and move on remembering the best of what he had with Isobel.

None of that ever happened though. She was the one who started it all in the first place and the brightest memory that he had of her now was the image of the fanged creature that promised to start killing innocent people if he didn't do what she wanted. What a nice thing to carry in his mind!

And there was no satisfaction too, like there couldn't be any satisfaction in knowing that she ran away from him because he wasn't _enough_. Because whatever he could offer, even if it was the best of what he had, was not good enough for her. How bad could it possibly be that she preferred to become a vampire instead of being with him? Was their life together such a nightmare?

So, she set him on the journey, whether she wanted it or not. But now it looked like that instead of moving forward, he took the wrong turn, drove off the highway and straight into the desert, apparently with his eyes closed, got lost, fell off the cliff, nearly drowned a time or two and had no clue where he was and where to go next anymore. Or at least that was how it felt.

He didn't have it planned and he didn't see it coming and he didn't know what to do with all of that now or where to go. And then all of a sudden the world was bright and new before him when he expected it least, chances to take, decisions to make. And Alaric found himself scared. And on top of all of that, he surely didn't see himself getting involved with someone else like that, too. Not that soon anyway. He didn't plan it and maybe didn't even want it. What if it was the wrong turn as well? What if at some point Jenna was going to realize that he was not good enough for her either?

Taking this step was a huge thing, like falling backwards with his eyes closed and trusting her to catch him. Was he actually ready for it? Was _caring_ enough for anything between them to work?

And then there was Isobel. And everything was easy and simple here, as easy and simple as it could possibly be. He knew her his entire life. At some point he even believed that he knew her as well as he knew himself….

"Okay, I get it now," somehow, Damon's voice made it to his ears, and Ric turned to him a little confused by thick annoyance in it richly coated with irony. "It's your sanity you're mourning here. Fine, go ahead! I bet you're going to _really_ miss it."

"What are you-" he started and then trailed off when he realized that he could have said something without noticing it, and wondered what exactly he let slip. "She was the one who left." His voice was dull and void of any emotions.

"Even after you did everything to stop her? Now that's unbelievable!"

"It was her choice, Damon."

"You _are_ an idiot, aren't you?" It was more than a statement than a question as Damon huffed soundly. He finished his drink in one big gulp and put the glass down on the counter with more force that required. Regarded Alaric darkly as if wondering if he actually was mentally incompetent, and then shook his head in disbelief.

"Oh well," Ric mumbled dryly letting his lips twist into a crooked _sorry-but-that's-all-I-can-offer_ half-smirk.

"Some people never learn, you know? Isobel is a selfish manipulative bitch who is using you… for something I can't quite see yet. And you are-" He cut off suddenly. "Not that I care." Slid off the stool. "Just keep the drama out of the way, would you?" He looked back and scanned the bar, the returned his attention to Alaric again. "Come on, let's hunt something dark and evil. You need some air."

Alaric regarded him suspiciously, considering. "But—wouldn't hunting something dark and evil be like a suicide for you?"

"Two points in just one night! Wow! You're making progress!" Damon snorted. "Whatever. Sit here and feel sorry for your lost soul. But don't tell me I didn't warn you when the situation bites you in the ass once again."

"Isobel is not Katherine," Alaric said quietly.

Damon smirked. "Yeah, keep believing that."

And on that he was gone.

Ric turned to his drink but somehow the idea of finishing it suddenly was sickening. So he pushed it away, left a few bills on the counter and followed Damon who was nowhere to be seen by this moment outside, his head spinning slightly from alcohol and constant noise all around.

Well, Isobel seemed to be right about one thing after all and he had to give her that. The choice was simple and obvious. Weird that it took him so long to make it.

* * *

Jenna woke up in the middle of the night lying on top of her bed, dressed and covered with a checked plaid. She couldn't remember how she got there and her head pounded slightly and her eyes were thick and sandy from crying hours ago.

Elena must have taken care of her, she thought absently. Then rolled on her back and pressed the heels of her palms into her eyelids willing with all her might for the throbbing to stop. It didn't help much though. Each of her breaths was echoing painfully in her head that seemed to grow, like, twice and was just too big and too heavy for her to live with it.

Headache or not, at least you woke up in your own bed and not in Texas, Jenna reminded herself sourly and thought that she might as well go to find some Aspirin downstairs before her head actually exploded. It was getting hard to feel miserable and desperate when she couldn't even think properly, and she was fully intended to enjoy every moment of it with all possible side-effects from storing gallons of ice-cream to giving up on her life, again. Secretly, of course. The last thing she needed was worried _Is she okay?_ looks from Jeremy and Elena accompanied by fake encouraging smiles. Not when they had plenty of other reasons to feel sorry for her.

She kicked her covers off and turned on the lamp squinting her eyes when the light hit them and drilled a hope in her skull, and it was then that her phone started to ring. She reached blindly for it, too tired and distracted to think about who it could be at the time of the night. And not really caring either.

"Yes?" Jenna breathed out into the receiver pinching the bridge of her nose. _Crying's a bitch_.

"_You should have stayed away from him_," a voice on the other end of the line told her.

It was quite and somewhat _dead_, like a hiss but completely emotionless, and it gave her creeps and made her blood run cold as she stilled in her spot going completely rigid. Her breath hitched and her heart fell as all of her inside twisted in a knot, and she swallowed hard unable to form any sort of an answer. Unable to form any sort of a coherent thought.

"Who—who is it?" She forced out. "Hello?"

When the answer didn't come, she looked at the screen where the timer stopped at eleven seconds and then threw the phone aside as if it could hurt her somehow. It landed on the end of the bed and she watched it warily for a while.

"That's not funny," Jenna breathed out feeling dizzy and overwhelmed. It was a joke. Yeah, just a joke. Or a mistake. There were a lot of freaks who liked doing things like that after some horror movies marathon, or just because… just because they were sick. Either way, it had nothing to do with her.

Aspirin. Right.

Her phone beeped announcing arrival of a text message and stopping Jenna short. She reached for it slowly as if it could actually bite her or something. Her hand hovered over it for a moment before picking it up and her fingers trembled when she pressed _Read_.

The message was short. "_Tick-tock_."

**To be continued….

* * *

**

Please review, it means a lot :)


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's note: **Okay then! The last update in 2010 :) And – this is the longest chapter in my entire history of writing, ever. Which is freakish Oo I did try to make it shorter but it didn't really work LOL Seriously, you have no idea how much stuff I cut out :P Anyway, I had so much fun writing it and this hiatus is just hellish so I've got to kill me time somehow :P You won't hold it against me, will you?

I would like to thank everyone who keeps reading it, your interest is invaluable! Also, I hope everyone is having great time this holiday season! I'll see you all on the other side ;)

* * *

**Chapter 10**

Heightened senses was one of the things that Damon loved most about being a vampire. The one that he had quite a long time adjusting to because it wasn't easy at first – too much feeling, too much hearing, too much _everything_ around him. It was making his head spin and buzz and it was just not big enough for all the noises he never ever imagined hearing, like the pump of blood in humans' bodies from a few hundred feet away or the flutter of wings of the insects – so clear that he could even say how many of said wings they had – but in the end it was such a huge benefit that he couldn't see himself living without it anymore. Once he learned to shut it off and sort them all out into _I need that_ and rubbish. It wasn't easy. It was just too overwhelming at first to concentrate properly but now, one hundred and almost fifty years later, it was just as natural as any other part of him – as natural as being a vampire could be.

And he sort of got used to having it all around him – to the level of knowing how to ignore it completely, which was almost making him feel like human.

But it wasn't an ordinary thing to hear a steady thud of a heartbeat in a boarding house, not since Zach's death at least. Unless, of course, Elena was hanging around, which wasn't the case this time.

Damon picked it up the moment he walked through the massive door. He paused for the barest of seconds and then hemmed to himself as he slammed the said door and headed for the library led by the scent and feel of human being.

"You know, at some point I might actually think about changing the locks," he commented when he found Alaric sitting at the massive redwood table that once belonged to Giuseppe Salvatore buried in… well, what looks like _a lot_ of papers.

"I can pick the locks," Ric called back without lifting his head up. "If I really want to."

Damon headed straight to the alcohol cart and grabbed a low rounded whiskey glass. I knew you had some demons inside of you," he drawled smirking. "You were too good and perfect to be, you know, good and perfect. Would you like to have something to drink?"

"No, I'm good," Ric lifted a glass of his drink making ice cubes clink softly before putting it back onto the table, and Damon sensed a whiff of gin floating across the room.

"You really are quite at home here," he commented nonchalantly.

"Well, I died here, that should count for something, no?"

Chuckling, Damon picked a bottle with dark ember liquid before throwing yet another look over his shoulder, genuinely curious now. "What are you doing there anyway, Ric? Grading the papers?"

"This joke is getting old. I just thought it would be a bad idea to be caught running around the town with the files you stole from the Sheriff," Ric explained finally treating his gaze off of the table, a little annoyed having to explain such obvious things. "These confidential stamps are eye-catching."

"These are just the copies," Damon pointed out.

"Whatever. They are still stolen case files. It's not like I can read them at school."

"It's not like you don't have your own place," he singsonged.

"But I don't have reference materials there," Ric grinned flickering his eyes towards the massive bookshelves. "That's… impressive."

"It's a family legacy. Personally, I prefer something more modern."

"Comics on the last page of the newspapers?" Alaric snorted. "Hey, do you know that for a vampire you have a surprisingly little amount of books about your kind?"

"_My kind_?" Damon quirked his brows. "You sound racist. It's a deep insult, you know."

"I was just wondering why."

"Because we're not guinea pigs, maybe?" He supposed drawing his brows together with mock thoughtfulness. "Yeah, that must be it. What is there to write about, anyway? We feed, we kill, it's fun. End of story. We have Bram Stoker's _'Dracula'_ somewhere here though, even if it is all crap. He has it all wrong!"

"Cute."

"You still hadn't talked to Jenna, had you?" Damon asked matter-of-factly changing the subject to give Alaric a little shake when he felt that the conversation was getting too comfortable – like he didn't know the answer, right! He poured himself some bourbon and gave it a shake letting the alcohol whap the ice and cool down a little, took a cautious sip and held it for a while in his mouth to feel the taste before swallowing it. And smirked under his breath as his sensitive ears caught the change in Ric's heartbeat at the mention of Jenna's name. He was so obvious it wasn't even fun. "Why don't you just go and do the right thing instead of… I don't know, setting depression all over?"

Ric didn't answer straight away. His gaze went back to the papers, but right when Damon was about to come up with yet another cocky comment, he said, "I don't know what the right thing is anymore. Can we please not talk about it?"

There was a part of him that wanted to just go to Jenna more than anything because, God help him, he needed her. Unfortunately, it was a much smaller part than the one that was telling him to back off and deal with himself first before he actually screwed up things even more – if it was possible.

Damon ignored him completely though.

"Oh, of course you do! And it sure is not contemplating becoming a vampire."

Alaric quirked his brow up. "And what if it is? What if this whole thing was leading to it?" He asked, more out of wish to disagree than anything else.

"_Rrrright!_ And you being in love with another woman – other than your ex I mean – is working so well with the plan! Have you even heard yourself?" The vampire shook his head in disbelief. "You know what? You can be such a moron for a guy with a university degree, or whatever it is that you have hanging framed on the wall!"

"I am not talking about any of that with you, Damon," Ric cut him off dryly.

"Okay, I take my words back!" Damon lifted his hands up with the universal _I give up_ gesture letting the light coming for the fireplace catch his drink and send a scatter of yellowish gleams on the wall and bookshelves. "Maybe it is not such a bad idea after all. Maybe you will finally drop the drama once you're a vampire! I am getting tired of your pathetic looks."

"Says a guy who has a crush on his brother's girlfriend," Ric reminded him mischievously, as if it was something that needed to be reminded of. "Are you planning to do anything about it, by the way?"

"Is this any of your business or what?"

"Just thought that maybe once you have a hobby, you'll stop bugging me?" Ric hinted without much hope.

They glared daggers at each other for a while before Damon rolled his eyes letting out a string of curses under his breath and walked up closer to the table. "Okay, whatever. What are you doing with these, anyway?"

Now he could see standard police protocol folders and their Xeroxed black-and-white contents scattered all over the redwood surface and mixed with the copies of the news-paper articles, a total mess that didn't make much sense, no matter how hard Damon tried to see it. He picked up one of the folders but returned it back right away. He'd already been there, read them all, twice. What else could there be that he didn't notice was beyond his understanding.

"I wanted to sort out the closed cases," Ric told him. "Match missing people with the reports on the bodies found in the woods or elsewhere lately and see who is left out in the end so that we could check them. If any of them went missing around the time when the killings began and their bodies were never found, our guy could be one of them."

"He could be from anywhere in the country!" Damon told him in a voice that implied that he was talking to someone mentally incompetent. "Are you going to check all the missing people cases?"

"No, he should be from around here," Alaric shook his head. "To have a grudge against Jenna, he should at the very least know her. There should be some connection between him and Mystic Falls."

Damon considered his words before nodding. "Not necessarily but let's believe that until proven otherwise. What have you got?"

"I am not done yet, but these three are already out," he pushed the folders with the newspaper articles clipped to them across the table and towards Damon. "No bodies, no sign of them for the last couple of weeks, all disappeared around the right time. Two of them are campers from Georgia." He sounded skeptic. "I'm not quite sure about the third guy…" Alaric trailed off as Damon opened the folder. "Not so promising."

On the photo there was a man in his late fifties or early sixties with round face and grayish hair, or so it looked on the black-and-white picture, and the vampire took his time to read standard description that ran beside it – height, body complexion, contact information, "Why?"

"I talked to his daughter. She is pretty sure he ran away to Vegas to hide from his wife, and if it was her who picked up the phone in the first place, I am totally seeing why." He rubbed at his eyes. "And, you know, the whole age thing."

"Charming. Anything else?"

"No," Alaric heaved an exasperated sigh. "What I am doing here is already grasping at straws. Our guy could be a loner. What if no one ever reported him missing? What if no one ever will? But I don't know what else I can possibly come up with. Keep checking the abandoned places and warehouses?"

"Well, it can keep us entertained for a decade or two." Damon shrugged and finished his drink. "Without making much sense." He set his glass aside, grabbed his jacket and headed out

"Where are you going?"

"A walk." Damon threw over his shoulder without so much as a look back. "Yes, yes, I'll say hello to Jenna for you if I stop by Elena's." Yeah, it wasn't hard to feel Alaric's glare burning a hole in his back. "Tell Stefan we're patrolling tonight if he shows up." He stopped when he was already one step out of the room but still in Ric's line of sight and turned around. "And do me a favor, get out of here by the time I come back. And take that dark cloud hanging over your head with you."

* * *

"Could you please not move?" Elena demanded. "I can actually hurt you with this thing."

It was a girls' night, Gilbert/Sommers style – pizza, ice-cream, pop-tars, soda, pajamas and funny slippers. Jenna was sitting on the floor of her room with her legs crossed, a fancy magazine balancing on her knee and junk food mounting all around while Elena stood behind her on her knees with the curling iron in her hand and a thoughtful expression on her face.

"What exactly are you doing with my hair, anyway?" Jenna asked sending a spoonful of chocolate chip cherry ice-cream into her mouth.

"I am not entirely sure," Elena answered unsurely. "Does it matter?"

"No, not really," Jenna shrugged. "As long as it is not Marilyn Monroe style."

"Why?"

Carefully, Jenna turned to look at Elena over her shoulder feeling the warmth of the curling iron somewhere really close to the skin of her head. Too close for comfort, in fact. "Because if you turn me into Marilyn Monroe, I will turn you into Marilyn Manson."

Elena quirked her brows up. "Deal! Now turn around."

"It's not going to be too bad, is it?"

"Nothing that a straightening iron wouldn't save."

"Okay." Jenna flipped the page of the magazine, her gaze traveling lazily across colorful pictures and intriguing headlines. "What's next on the list?"

"You're painting my toenails. Choose the colors. And nothing extreme please."

Jenna tossed the magazine aside and reached for the makeup box stretching and bending at the weirdest angles ever to avoid being burned by that curling thing until her fingers brushed against the plastic and she managed to drag in across the carpet closer to her.

"Black and green, totally," she said browsing through their collection.

"Black and green? Did you hear the _nothing extreme_ part? My feel will look like watermelon."

Jenna looked up again. "I never thought of that, but… you're right!"

"Don't move, Jenna, I'm serious!"

"It's going to look cool! Besides, it's so cold that no one is going to see them anyway." She paused and added, "And if they do, they won't care. Who cares about the color of your toenails?"

"Black and green it is then!" Elena agreed. "Could you hold this for me for a second?" She caught Jenna's hand and put it on the curling iron handle, hopped up and found a box with pop-tars. Opened the pack and dug her teeth into the sour cherry tart. "Okay, go it." She took the curling iron again. "Want some?" Offered her aunt the box.

"No, thanks, I'm good here." Jenna swallowed another spoonful of ice-cream. "I can do something pretty with your fingernails though, like – draw something on them? Like, nail art, you know."

"Draw something?" Elena sounded doubtful. "Oh well, it doesn't sound _bad_!"

"Why, thank you!" Jenna scoffed. "Hey, how about watching some movie after we're done?"

"_Thelma and Louise _or_ Breakfast at Tiffany's_?"

"_Thelma and Louise _all the way!"

Light rap on the door made Elena turn around as Jenna craned her neck to see anything over her bed. The door creaked open and Jeremy poked his head in, cautious and hesitant. He observed the mess, a stack of magazines, two make-up bags on the floor and blinked as if not sure he wasn't seeing things.

"Here you are. I didn't know anyone was at home," he started warily. "What are you guys up to?"

"Having fun," Jenna informed him. "Hey, Jer, want to have some pizza?"

He weighed all pros and cons of the offer. "No, thank you," shook his head in the end. "I better go find something frozen in the fridge."

"What's wrong with him?" Jenna frowned when the door was closed again and they heard Jeremy head down the stairs.

"I believe that somewhere deep inside he still remembers how Bonnie and I painted his fingernails in pink and tied bows in his hair when he was six because it was more fun than doing the same to our dolls," Elena explained with mock seriousness.

"Really? I've never heard about that!"

"Oh yeah! Mom thought he'd need a therapy after it."

"What if he does now?" Jenna span around nearly knocking Elena down, together with the curling iron that was still tangled somewhere in her hair.

"Don't move!" Elena rolled her eyes gaining back her balance.

"Oh my, you were such a monster!" Jenna shook her head laughing.

Elena grinned. "Who could have said, right? Anyway, better not traumatize him even more now. We've got plenty of food downstairs."

"We've got pop-tarts for sure," Jenna nodded.

Carefully, Elena freed her aunt's hair. "Okay, I'm done here."

"Do I _want_ to have a look?" Jenna asked a little self-consciously.

"Well, if I were you…" Elena drawled uncertainly.

"Yes, I better!"

She got up to her feet and walked up to the vanity table with a big mirror handing above it, marveling in the feeling of soft carpet beneath her feet, her toes practically burying into it making her feel like she was walking on the warm white sand on the beach. She studied her reflection and thick heavy curls falling on her shoulders and streaming down her back, reminding her of… something. Something she couldn't quite grasp at but it was there, in the back of her mind. Like a long-lost memory. The thing was, it did look quite good. Maybe her hair-do wasn't entirely matching the pajama, but then again the pajama was the best part of the night, so it was perfect.

"So, what do you think?"

"I don't look like a poodle, that's a good start." Jenna winked at her.

"I did my best!" Elena gave her work an apprehensive look. "Let them cool down a bit and then I'll finish it and you'll look totally stunning, Aunt Jenna," she told her coming close to go through Jenna's collection of perfume.

"And then we can crash some other slumber party and steal someone's thunder," Jenna nodded with confidence.

"Exactly!"

"And meanwhile let's do something with your toenails."

"You sure about black and green? I mean it's..."

"Just sit."

Elena plopped down onto the floor and leaned her back against the bed. She stretched her legs before herself and wiggled her toes feeling her lips stretch into a smile of the will of their own. She reached out and grabbed the bucket with the remains of caramel ice-cream waiting for Jenna to lower herself down in from on her, cross her legs and find the required nail polish bottles in the box.

"Where is that pizza you were talking about?" Elena asked scraping the bottom of the ice-cream bucket.

"Over there," Jenna's gaze flickered towards the bed right above Elena's head. "That's a weird combination – pizza after ice-cream. You sure about it?"

"All this sweet stuff makes me crave for something… less sweet," Elena explained.

"Oh, I see. Go for it!" Jenna looped a curled strand of hair that kept falling on her face around her ear and untwisted the cap of the black nail polish bottle. "So… how is school?" She started matter-of-factly.

Elena paused for a moment trying oh so hard to keep her face straight. She was waiting for this question to come for, like, two hours already. Jenna's self-restraint was impressive and almost worth admiration, if only the whole situation wasn't that ridiculous. She reached for the cardboard box and pulled it down carefully to set it beside herself, opened it and picked a slice with a huge piece of champignon in the very center.

"School?" She asked nonchalantly. "Or Alaric?"

Jenna paused for a moment and lifted her head up to look Elena in the face. "School," she said pointedly.

"Fine," Elena shrugged. Man, this was going to be fun! "Only we had a pipe-leak that left a huge spot on the ceiling in the girls changing room so they decided to renovate the whole place a little and paint the lockets, and this smell of the paint is just awful! And now we have to change in the spare classroom near the chemistry lab class across the hall. How inconvenient is that? And last week all the boxed stuff for the Founder's Day filled our committee room – I mean literary, floor to ceiling, and we had to move our… well, _gathering_ to the drama club studio because it was supposed to be empty, but when we walked in we saw Brad Harper and Amy Carson. And they were kissing." All that was practically blurted out while chewing, and here Elena took a pause to swallow. "Can you imagine that? And Brad's girlfriend Ashley was right there with us. You should have seen it! She has such an amazing hook! She has two brothers though so it's not a big deal I guess. But the whole committee was a disaster after that because for a moment there we all thought she actually broke Brad's jaw – which he would totally deserve, if you ask me – and then she ran away crying, and the guys took he to the nurse in case he actually had a concussion or something. And a few girls left to calm Ashley down and keep her from killing Amy, and now half of the school has to choose sides because no one can be friends with both of them, obviously. And you know what is unfair? Brad has a reputation of a total macho now when in reality he's just a jerk!" She shook her head and took another bite. "Also, fire alarm went off last Friday. Well, someone set it off for fun but they asked us all to leave the building to make sure it was safe. And it was right in the middle of the lit quiz and now we have to prepare essays instead because we couldn't finish the quiz, which is not exactly my idea of fun, and, to be honest, I'd rather deal with the quiz but this damned essay will affect the semester grade, so…" She grimaced. "And the football team-"

"Okay, stop it!" Jenna cut her off, her hands flailing in the air. "My brain is going to explode. And ruin the carpet. And I like this carpet!" She told Elena giving her a white-hot burning glare as she pursed her lips tight and reached for another bottle, with green nail-polish this time. "Did you… did you see him?" She asked faking disinterest and keeping her gaze cast down.

_Bingo! _

"Of course I saw him, he is my teacher." Elena let her voice soften a little. "I see him three times a week, and two more at the committee gatherings, and sometimes when I meet Stefan after the football practice."

"And?" Jenna prodded when nothing else followed.

"He's gorgeous," Elena informed her thoughtfully and nodded as if agreeing with herself on that. "And smart."

"Don't make me hurt you," Jenna drawled smiling threateningly at her.

"With a nail polish brush?" Elena cocked her eyebrows in mock fear.

"I have a curling iron within arm's reach."

Elena took her time to swallow the last bit of her pizza slice. "Okay," she let out in a whoosh of breath. "He asked about you, twice."

Jenna snapped her head up going completely rigid as her breath hitched and her heart stopped for a moment. "He did? What—what did he ask?"

"How you were doing," she shrugged.

"And?"

"And – what?"

"And – what did you say?"

"Nothing! I wiggled out of the conversation on lame excuses and tried to avoid him," Elena replied defensively missing out the part where Alaric looked pretty much desperate and exhausted and quite miserable overall. And that just like Jenna, he did a little dance around the topic before actually getting to the point. It would have even been funny if she knew how to ignore fake easiness both fought to express and well-masked pain that nothing could hide. "What was I supposed to say anyway?"

"That I am doing great, maybe?" Jenna offered in a _Isn't it obvious?_ voice.

"Are you?" Elena met her gaze firmly making Jenna choke on her words.

"Well… not really," she admitted after a short hesitation. "But-"

"He is my teacher, Jenna, and I can't lie to my teacher. It's bad for karma and grades." She pointed out with determination, and added as an afterthought, "At least not until you tell me what the hell happened between the two of you."

Which was such a big secret that made her boyfriend and his brother being vampires secret fade compared to it, and it simply wasn't fair. Two weeks and she didn't have even a hint on what was going on! How could she feel for them when she was so curious?

"Nothing happened," Jenna breathed out tiredly, her voice dropping and changing minutely signaling to Elena not to cross the line.

"Work on being more convincing."

"I'm trying." Jenna twisted the cap closed, checked the other one and then dropped both bottles back into the box. "Don't move," she told Elena and let herself relax reaching for a pack of butter-scotch cookies. "Mm, this is heaven."

"You're acting immature," Elena informed her.

"It's not an act," Jenna assured her confidently.

"Why can't you just… talk?"

"Because there is nothing to talk about."

"Fine!" Elena agreed easily. "Then there is no reason for you to ask about him." She hopped up again. "Let me finish your hair and then we can move downstairs and you'll do my nails while watching the TV." She grabbed the hairbrush from the nightstand, pulled Jenna up and pushed her towards the vanity table. "Now that we don't have much to talk about anyway," she added innocently.

Jenna sank onto the chair before the mirror and felt Elena run hairbrush through her locks, which was soothing and comforting. Which reminded her of the times she thought were long forgotten. Of the times _before_.

"It's the first time," Elena let out softly drawing Jenna out of her thoughts.

"What?" She met Elena's eyes in the reflection.

"This thing. Without mom."

It was, Jenna realized a little belatedly. They used to have so much fun together, the three of them, just laughing and talking about nothing. "Yes, it is," she said and smiled reassuringly through the pang in her chest trying to forget that not only was it the first time but that it couldn't be any other way from now on. "But she loved it. I think she'd be glad we keep the tradition."

Elena returned the smile. "I bet she would."

* * *

"'Cause they are idiots! Both of them." Damon grumbled with annoyance as he stood by the window in Elena's room peering outside. "Like one brooding brother wasn't enough," he grimaced giving her a look over the shoulder. "Now I have a depressed history teacher in my hair. It is like being trapped in _Sleepy Hollow_, in the darkest parts of it."

Elena propped her head of her head and studied him thoughtfully. "What are you guys up to now?"

"Same old, same old!" He chirped. "You _Uncle_ is being a huge inconvenience lately. It's a little disturbing to try and keep an eye both on him and mysterious killers. Did you talk to him lately?"

"We're not exactly on speaking terms," Elena winced. "Why?"

"Just interesting what he has in mind," Damon shrugged. "I try to see his angle and fail."

"Angle?" She quirked her brows up.

He turned around, lowered himself on the window seat and leaned his back against cool glass. "I don't peg him for a town protector," he explained. "And I don't trust him, that's why I want to know what he is up to before it's too late and we're in real trouble."

"What do you think it could be?"

"No idea," he let out in a heavy sigh. "He's not exactly willing to share. And I am a little worried about how it could backfire in the end." He tapped his fingers on his knee.

"Sorry, but talking to him… it's a bit too much for a favor."

"Not that I can blame you," Damon made a funny face at her. "Come to think of it…" he started but then trailed off and tensed.

"What?"

"Someone's coming." He rose up and pulled the window open. "See you later." Paused for a moment, and added in a low voice, "If my boring brother shows up, tell him her is boring. And then, tell him we had plans for tonight."

"What plans?" Elena started suspiciously but he was already gone.

Jeremy rapped his knuckles on the half-open door to Elena's bedroom, and then pushed it further until he could see her lying flat on her stomach across the bed hugging a pillow and with an open book sprawled before her. She lifted her head and looked over the shoulder, her gaze changed from disinterested to surprised.

"Hi," Elena said somewhat warily.

"Hey," Jeremy stopped in the doorway. He swept the room with his gaze, then looked back into the corridor and then at Elena again. "Jenna said to call you, the diner's ready."

"Oh," she breathed out with relief, glad that he wasn't here for another fight and yet devastated by how distanced they became lately. She missed the times when they were fighting as hell and yet remained the best friends. Or at least they could talk to each other without yelling. "I'm… I'm not really hungry." I'd call it more like _fed up_, she added mentally hoping that it was and he didn't come to pick up another fight.

"Okay," he shrugged. Elena expected him to walk away but instead he hovered in the doorway, and after another hesitant glance over the shoulder, he stepped inside of her room. His eyes flickered on the book lying before Elena. "What are you doing?"

"Math," she grimaced.

Jeremy blinked. "Math?" He echoed. "As in – _math_?"

Elena scoffed. "I have a test tomorrow. In real life, we still have school, remember? And speaking of – when was the last time you did _your_ homework? Do you even go there?"

He sneered. "Don't worry, Anna sort of keeps an eye on it." Jeremy dropped his gaze and shook him head looking a little embarrassed and yet… well, pleased she'd say.

Elena smiled. "She is a good influence on you."

"Speaking of-" he mimicked her locking his eyes with Elena's once again. "I'm sorry about the other day. I shouldn't have been such a dick. I'm just—I'm really worried about Anna."

"Why?" Elena pushed herself up to sit on the bed and crossed her legs.

"Oh well, you know, these killings…" he frowned. "Uncle John knows about her. And he is on this Council. And she thinks that if at some point he'd need someone to blame for the attacks, it'd be her because they can't get the real guy." He paused. "I know she can take care of herself but I don't want her to leave. And I know that she would, once there is a real threat because she has no reason to stay here now that her mom is dead, and all this crap is not making it any better."

"She wouldn't-"

"Yeah, she would," he let out a long breath and rubbed his eyes. "Look, I didn't mean to snap at you, I just-"

"Care, I got it." Elena finished. "I don't think you should be worried about it. Uncle John knows about Stefan and Damon, too, and I-"

"Like he is going to make a move against them," Jeremy cut her off chuckling. "He'd be dead before he knows it. But he killed her mom, just like that. And we can't do anything."

Well, he had a point, Elena had to admit not without inner wince.

"He's not going to do anything to her," she said reassuringly.

"He may try," Jeremy said darkly, determination ringing in his voice. To that, Elena had no response. Because want it or not, but he was right. Uncle John was a mystery, as well as his shady motives, and as much as she didn't want to go into trying to understand them, she couldn't help thinking about it every now and then. None of them said a word for a about a minute, until Jeremy asked, "Um… d'you know what's wrong with Jenna?"

Elena tensed momentarily. "What's wrong with her?" She eyed him cautiously forcing to keep her rush of panicky thoughts at bay.

He walked up to the dresser and leaned against it, his arms folded on the chest and a shade of doubt of his face. "I don't know, she seems… distracted." He shrugged again. "Not quite herself. And, you know, downcast or something."

"Oh that," Elena frowned and then shook her head on a sigh. "She and Alaric… they are on a rough patch."

"Really?" His brows came together. "What happened?"

"I don't know, she doesn't really talk about it. I tried yesterday – _nada_."

"I kinda noticed he hadn't been around much lately but I didn't…" He trailed off and cleared his throat. "Anyway, come on. Jenna cooked lasagna. It smells good. When was the last time we had lasagna? And Anna is staying for dinner. And then we can play video games. Let's call it a truce and have fun. Two by two. I'll let you girls win."

"Oh, you'll let?" Elena drawled in dangerously warning voice sliding off the bed. "Last time I checked you lost to me before you knew it!"

"Oh, yeah?" He snorted, his voice ringing with a challenge. "I was cutting you some slack, is all. Let's see who is going to win today!"

* * *

Jenna reached out for her mug and took a cautious sip. Freshly brewed coffee that she poured not a minute ago burned her tongue but she swallowed it without so much as a flinch barely registering the unpleasant feeling, too lost in reading to pay attention to… well, anything.

Absently, she set the mug back on the table beside an open book and flipped the page carefully, her eyes glued to a century old yellowish paper covered with neat handwriting. The ink that must have been black once started to fade turning somewhat bluish and smudged, unreadable at some places. She was tired from hours of trying to decipher the entries, handwriting and writing style considered, and her head buzzed with information and unbelievable amount of caffeine that she knew wasn't healthy. And she couldn't care less.

Jenna shifted in her seat and leaned forward propping herself on the forearms and leaning closer to the first journal from Jonathan Gilbert's collection. There was a chance that she'd find the answers to at least some of her questions somewhere in it and she was willing to give it a shot, even with her head spinning and her eyes sandy from lack of sleep.

She crawled out of bed at about five in the morning, after going to bed at two, when decent sleep – or any sleep, come to think of it – ruled itself out and simply twisting and turning in bed stopped making any sense whatsoever. Not that she could brag about having a good sleep anyway. The fear of waking up somewhere in Nebraska was pretty much keeping her awake most of the nights lately.

It was still dark outside when she tiptoed downstairs cringing every time the floor boards creaked beneath her feet. Without turning the lights on and guided by the pale light of breaking dawn she went straight to the kitchen. For a moment she paused before the window to look out at the back yard plunged into all shades of grey taking in dark forms of the trees and silver grass covered with morning frost, mesmerized by complete stillness and silence. She knew she had about two hours before everyone else would start waking up and at least four before she had to be in for her first class, which left her with practically endless possibilities.

Her best intention was to bury herself in the assignments that she was supposed to hand in a few days ago and it was a miracle that she managed to get away with it this long. But her luck wasn't going to last forever and she knew it, and she also knew that she had to concentrate and to finally have it done, hoping secretly that it could keep her thoughts off Alaric at least for a little while.

Ha! Easier said than done. Studying turned out to be an almost impossible task right away and half an hour - and two mugs of coffee - later she found herself drawn to a century and a half old drama hidden in the leather-bound book.

"_February 25, 1984, Mystic Falls _

_A body was found in the woods today. Young boy drained of blood. Not a drop was left. He was lying there on the cold ground, so pale and with his skin wrapped around his bones. I can see it so clearly even with my eyes open that it frightens me. God bless Richard Fell for being the one to find him. We never let anyone come near the body once we knew what happened and immediately we spread the rumor about animal attack not to arise any suspicion. The winter is severe this year, a lot of wild animals are starving in the woods. No one should be surprised. Terrified – yes, and maybe it will keep the town__'s folk out of the forest._

_These bite marks on the boy's neck – no one should ever see them but a close circle of people that trust each other and know the secret. _

_They are back. I have never though it could happen again. The story that was passed from father to son for generations was almost forgotten. We kept it alive out of respect for our ancestors. I cannot believe that it is happening with us now, but also I cannot close my eyes to the fact either. Quite on contrary, all of us should have them wide open from now on to face the horrifying disaster that fell upon us._

_Lord help us in these dark times because if we are right about the evil that returned to be our curse, no one else could save us._

_J.G._"

This was the first entry that John Gilbert had made and Jenna could physically feel the fear coming from the pages as if they absorbed the emotions of the person filling them and now were radiating it as if unable to keep it all within. Superstition, she thought, a legend that kept them in fear and that came back to life when they least expected it. _The vampires_. Although, of course, it would never have been her first guess hadn't she known the truth. Hell, it would never have been her guess even if she was a psycho! Jenna shook her head.

The following entries contained the description of daily routine, family dinners, social gatherings mixed with the moments of dark panic, fear, doubts and concerns Jonathan Gilbert couldn't share with anyone but this small book.

"_May 10, 1864, Mystic Falls_

_A friend of Miss Katherine Pierce, on orphan who is staying at the Giuseppe Salvatore's house, has arrived yesterday in the afternoon. I am fascinated by her beauty and elegance. Mystic Falls is a nice town with respectful people inhabiting it but it is neither a place, nor a social circle she obviously belongs to. She is like a delicate flower in the wilderness. Her kindness and courtesy admire me and her smile can brighten up the darkest of the days. I have never thought I would be so attracted to someone else ever since my beloved wife passed away a few years ago and it scares me. But at the same time she is like a breath of fresh air and I cannot resist it._

_J.G_."

At ten past seven the sounds of life coming from the second floor interrupted the train of Jenna's thought.

She pushed the journal aside leaving in open to get back to it later and got up from her seat to start another coffee pot brewing and take care of the breakfast for all of them. The door opened above her head, and someone padded across the hall. A door-lock clicked and half a minute later the water started to run in the kids' bathroom. She head a muffled thud – suspected that Jeremy fell of the bed, literary – and then a hiss or a groan followed. Yeah, it must have been a nasty fall. The mental image made her smile to herself.

Jenna put a baking tray with French bread and bagels into the oven to warm them up and then went to retrieve eggs and tomatoes from the fridge making up her mind to go for an omelet. Hesitated for the barest of moments and then added a pack of paper-thin bacon to the stack. It wasn't that often that she had time to cook for them anyway, so it should at least be proper food, she thought absently.

Another string of footsteps came from upstairs. She checked the clock and decided that she still had at least about half an hour before any of them would start caring about anything. For all she knew, both remained half-asleep at least until lunch. She found the bowl in the cupboard and made another trip to the fridge to get forgotten milk. Two signs of the morning were already there – the sounds of blasting music coming from Jeremy's room (and only God knew how grateful Jenna was for not having a pleasure to hear it on the weekends) and Elena's hairdryer.

She emptied the milk-eggs-salt-pepper mix onto the frying pan before adding cherry tomatoes cut in halves to it and then tossed several pieces of bacon on another one to let them sizzle for a couple of minutes as she stood nearby tapping her fingers on the counter and trying to wrap her mind around everything she had found out in the last couple of hours, surprised that her head didn't explode. It wasn't that shocking anymore – no as shocking as it was at first – but it still was hell of a lot of information to process. And the deeper she was digging…

After another thoughtful look at the food she went back to the table listening to the sounds coming from the second floor. Good thing was that they were both definitely up, which wasn't always that easy. At times she had to use threats to kick them out of their beds.

"_June 13, 1864, Mystic Falls_

_The butcher's daughter went missing two nights ago. Everything was quiet for the last three weeks and I am ashamed to admit that it was partly the fault of the council that it happened. _

_I am worried and scared and I am starting to have second thoughts about keeping everything in secret. What if we are making it worse? People cannot protect themselves from the evil without knowing about it. But George Lockwood is right when he says that setting panic amongst town__'s folk would only bring chaos and the situation would no longer be under control. Not that it is under control now but I can see his reasons. _

_I want to believe that we're doing the right thing but I feel helpless and defeated knowing that as long as we are unable to track __these creatures down, they are going to keep killing the innocent. _

_J.G._"

She flipped though the neat charcoal drawings covering the pages, noting that he did have a talent. Mostly, they were the images of the wolves, just heads or whole frames standing with their heads thrown up as if they were howling at the moon. Among them were what Jenna qualified as _monsters_. The way Jonathan saw them, with hairy heads, pointed ears and fanged mouths open in soundless screams. Their resemblance with human beings was minimal and grotesque.

Coffee machine beeped and the oven timer went off at the same time. Jenna turned off the burned and piled the bacon on a plate before putting a cover onto the pan with omelet for it not to get cold and reaching for the baking pan with the bread. The smell of coffee was practically reviving and Jenna felt the corners of her mouth tug up slightly when she breathed it in on her way back to the table.

The entry that captured Jenna's attention for some reason started as a description of a party of some sort and was mostly about his feelings for a friend of some Miss Pierce, but then it cut off in the middle of the sentence and continued in slightly different handwriting as if the person was in a hurry, or too emotional, or his hands were shaking.

"_They found a girl, or rather what was left of her,_" she began to read inching closer to the yellowish paper against her own will, "_which wasn't much. I have never seen anything as horrifying in my life. She was shredded to pieces, her blood spilled all over the clearing. Young Fell who volunteered to accompany us couldn't stand it, and if I could be as weak, which is the most desirable thing sometimes, I would gladly join him in his misery. But now is not the best time to be weak. It never is, I dare say. We should stay stronger than ever before._

_This time, however, it wasn't the demon of the night that did it to poor child. A wolf was reported to be lurking on the outskirts of the town. Ironically, it was an animal attack_.

_J.G_."

Jenna snapped her head up at the sound of someone stomping down the stairs. "Hey, Jer," she called.

"Morning, Aunt Jenna," Jeremy yawned padding into the kitchen, and had she tried a little harder she was pretty sure she'd be able to see his tonsils. "Whassup?"

He rubbed sleepily at his eyes reaching for his coffee mug practically blindly.

Jenna shook her head, smiling.

It was nice seeing him like that. So… alive. Not as harsh and distanced and rebellious and overall self-destructive as he was the first months after the car crash. They were still having their moments but it was a relief to see how much he had changed lately. Almost back to the way he used to be. It made Jenna… well, maybe not exactly proud because God knew she could have been doing better with both of them, but just _better_ because there were times a few months ago when she thought that there was no way back for him and it was making her feel helpless and desperate. She loved them, true, but sometimes love wasn't enough and she feared it was the case.

A few years ago when Miranda asked her to sign the papers _in case_ anything happened to her and Grayson, it seemed to be a plain formality, something that most of people were doing to feel better, never actually thinking that the horrible day could come. Jenna agreed eagerly. There wasn't much of a choice, between her and John, and she was at least getting along with Jeremy and Elena, and everyone knew that. They laughed it off back then. Once out of the attorney's office, Miranda elbowed Jenna saying that she'd haunt her sister's ass down if she saw Jenna turning the lives of her kids into a never-ending party and giving them chocolate ice-cream for breakfast, to which Jenna replied primly that both she and Gray had to learnt to have some fun every once in a while.

And that was it, up until a phone call woke her up in the middle of the night in her rented apartment on campus. The nurse from the Mystic Falls Hospital contacted her from Elena's cell phone because Jenna's number was the last one that her niece dialed, which happened even before the police figured out who was in change for the kids from now on. It wasn't funny anymore and no one wanted chocolate ice-cream…

Muttering something about _frigging early_ under his breath, Jeremy grabbed a roll from the baking tray and then went straight to the fridge and dove into it, almost literary. Jenna listened to him rummaging through packages and food containers with unmasked amusement. He straightened up shutting the silver door, a sandwich in his hand, slices of ham, cheese and lettuce sticking from between two pieces of toast bread. To took a huge bite – making Jenna wonder how it was even possible without choking – and mumbled something like, "Why is school even legal?" which came out as something barely comprehensible, but he was obviously too much busy chewing to care. As for Jenna, she was too used for it to not understand.

"That's the beauty of life," she signsonged grinning and gained a dark look from him.

After that Jeremy headed back to fill his plate with omelet and bacon – the amount which in Jenna's opinion was enough to feed several people – and then flopped down onto the chair in front of her. And then his gaze slid down and fixed on the journal lying before Jenna on the redwood table. Curious, he lowered his sandwich down and even straightened up in his seat.

"Interesting reading?"

Jenna looked at the leather-bound book before returning the look with a crooked smirk playing on her lips. "You have no idea!" She got up to get some omelet and a bagel for herself. "Makes me wonder if any of our ancestors ended up in some mental institutions." Added thoughtfully joining him at the table.

"Who knows?" Jeremy shrugged, smiling. "I bet they kept it off the records though." They exchanged meaningful glances, and then he shoved a horribly big spoonful of omelet into his mouth reaching for the bacon. "How's your car by the way? Running better than ever?"

Jenna stilled, the fork half way to her mouth, as her eyes grew wide by the second. "Crap!" She breathed out letting the fork _ding_ against the plate. "I totally forgot about it. What time is it?" She checked her watch and leaned back heavily letting out a frustrated growl.

She was supposed to pick her car up from the shop last night. They called her in the afternoon to tell that it was ready, which was, like, the best news as of lately if only because it meant that she and Elena wouldn't have to share a car anymore. Jenna was more than willing to pass down the Grayson's car to Elena for good. If of course she was lucky enough to stop by the shop _today_, she added somewhat darkly, assuming that she completely forgot about it yesterday being caught up by other stuff. And it was too late to go to the shop now. The paperwork would probably take a while and she didn't want to be late for her class. That was definitely a huge down side of her exhaustion – both physical and mental – and lack of sleep. And that apparently was also something that coffee couldn't fix. That was getting… well, frustrating to begin with.

The car signaled outside announcing the arrival of Bonnie and Jeremy snapped his head up before swallowing the remains of his breakfast visibly as he got up. "And, here's the escort." He downed his coffee in one big gulp on the way to the dish washer. "See you later, Aunt Jenna," we waved at her and shouted, once in the corridor, "Elena!"

"I'm coming," came from upstairs and Jenna quirked her brow in amusement watching the retreat. Morning routine could never get boring.

She was pretty sure Jeremy's eyes were more or less closed again when he pulled on his jacket, threw his schoolbag over his shoulder, put on the headphones turning on the blasting music, either to wake him up, or to knock him down, Jenna wasn't sure, and stumbled out of the house heading to the silvery car parked at the curb, and she hemmed to herself. Mornings _were_ evil, she could not disagree with that.

On a sigh, Jenna got up too letting the chair legs scrap the hardwood floor. As much as she liked teasing them from time to time, being late for her own class wasn't that much fun and she really had to hurry now. She grabbed her cup and plate to drop them into the dish washer and reached to turn off the coffee machine. A little more caffeine and she would start to buzz, literary.

Patio door creaked open behind Jenna's back making her spin around. If Elena was up and Jeremy was in the process of loading himself into Bonnie's Prius, or maybe by this time he was already asleep in the back seat, then it could only be… She saw Stefan. He poked his head in, spotted her and stepped inside.

"Hi," he smiled.

"Hi," Jenna echoed smiling back.

"Is Elena still here?"

"Um," automatically, her eyes flickered towards the hall. "Yeah, she got lost somewhere on her way down the stairs." Her gaze locked on Stefan's face again, eyes narrowing. "Aren't you going to school today?" Jenna began but then cut herself off and answered for him before he had time to response. "You probably had enough of it in your _after_life."

Stefan let his smile widen. "Well, something like that," he admitted. "But… I'm going. I just thought I'd catch up with her on the way."

She nodded. "Look, I've really got to go now. Elena must be down soon. You're free to wait for her here if you want," she offered.

"Thanks."

"Feel like home," she reached for the journal and then paused and turned to him. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," Stefan shrugged, studying her thoughtful expression.

Jenna hesitated for a moment, both searching for the words and wondering if she actually wanted to start the conversation at all. She had to change and check her books and try not to forget her notes for once, and then she'd probably have to break a couple of traffic rules to arrive on time, and among all of that there was not that much time for a chit chat. But the thing was, there was just too much on her mind, too many questions without answers for her to bear, and she needed to get out of this dead end.

"These mind tricks you guys can go…" she started uncertainly. "Do you know the extent of them?"

"Mind tricks – like compulsion?"

"Well, yeah, for starters."

Stefan considered her questions. "Honestly? I don't think anyone knows it for sure." He replied after a short pause. "I doubt anyone ever studied a vampire to find it out," he added skeptically. "On a healthy human blood diet, especially fresh one, all vampires are pretty strong, both physically and mentally. All of us are capable of compelling humans that are not protected by vervain." He rubbed his forehead. "But… like everything, it is all quite individual."

"Individual how?" Now, she was getting curious.

"Well, when human turns into a vampire, all of his feelings and emotions, as well as some traits of character," he explained, "get heightened. They become more prominent. But just like humans are all different in their abilities and emotional range and, you know, capability to feel one thing or another, so are the vampires. To make it short, let's say that becoming a vampire brings out the best and the worst in people. Mainly the worst though."

"And what about… special skills?"

"Special skills?" Stefan blinked. "I'm not sure you can play violin better once you have fangs." And then the question sank in and he added, choosing the words carefully. "But mind thing related, I think if the person naturally has some psychic abilities, as a human, I think he can be stronger when it comes to compulsions and other mind messing once he is a vampire. Plus, age and good diet – again – make us more powerful in this department." He fell silent waiting for the information to absorb. "Do you want to know anything… specific?"

_Yeah, __about that – I wish I knew!_

"No, not really," Jenna said a little uncertainly. "I am kind of still trying to wrap my mind around all of that." A rueful smile touched her lips as she turned the Jonathan Gilbert's journal from side to side in her hand looking at it somewhat condescendingly. "This is interesting, in a fairy-tale sort of way. But it hardly explains much. It's… confusing."

"Are you okay?" Stefan asked her, frowning.

And that was the question that had no answer at the moment, Jenna thought. _Okay_ became a really vague term lately. Now it meant anything from _okay, let's watch TV_ to _okay, no one killed me in my sleep_, depending on perception and circumstances.

"Hey, guys, what's up?"

The voice made them both turn before Jenna could come with a decent answer as Elena walked into the kitchen, dressed and with her school bag slung over her shoulder. Her eyes jumped back and forth between the two of them.

"Hi," Stefan gave her a small wave of a hand.

"Elena," _you just saved me from a very awkward non-answer_. "Stefan is here to see you… and I really have to go now. And I think Bonnie and your brother are waiting for you outside." She paused trying to remember what else she wanted to say. "I'm going to pick the car after school and I'll have to stop by the library, and I am also meeting my thesis advisor at six, so I'll be late for dinner-"

"It's okay, Jenna," Elena assured her. "We'll just order pizza or come up with something else. Go!"

Jenna smiled at her. "Okay," she nodded. "You guys enjoy yourselves." Car beeped outside once again, longer and more persistent this time – definitely Jeremy's doing. "And please don't be late, I'm not sure I can deal with squeezing your teacher-parent stuff into my schedule right now."

"Go," Elena ordered giving Jenna a meaningful look. "Is everything okay?" She asked Stefan quietly as soon as she was sure her aunt was out of the hearing range. Her gaze flickered over her shoulder.

"Yeah, we were just talking," Stefan shrugged.

"You didn't come to school yesterday," she said letting her bad slide down her shoulder and caught it by the strap before it ended on the kitchen floor.

"Math quiz? Are you kidding?" He reminded her and smiled when Elena gave him a reproachful look. "Damon and I were checking the old cemetery. Crypts are the best hiding places, and it is on the outskirts of the town and far from the main roads, meaning safer in terms of attracting unnecessary attention."

"And?" She prodded making her way to the kitchen island to fill her thermos-mug with coffee and grab a roll.

"Nothing," Stefan shook his head and then ran his fingers through his hair, and Elena heard mild frustration in his voice. "It didn't look like anyone came anywhere near it in the last ten years, desolation and dust considered, and padlocks looked untouched, too."

"I thought you guys decided he was camping out outside the town."

"Looks like it's the main theory now, but we had to check anyway."

Slowly, Elena nodded. "Are you coming today?"

Another _beep_ cut him off when Stefan just opened his mouth to reply, and lasted for at least half of the minute. "They are going to kill you," he told Elena, chuckling.

"But first they are going to wake up the entire block," she let out an exasperated sigh not having any trouble imagining Bonnie trying to shove Jeremy off and back into the backseat. Not that it ever worked. "So?"

"I'll see you at school. Now you better hurry."

"And wring my brother's neck," she drawled with mischievous anticipation.

* * *

It was a dark grey Camaro that caught Jenna's attention. She first spotted it in the rearview mirror when she left the car shop – finally driving her own car again. It was parked at the curb on the other side of the road and her gaze slipped past it without so much as a second thought but as soon as she was on the road, it made a u-turn and followed her moving at the same speed and keeping safe distance.

Jenna frowned as her fingers flexed on the steering wheel totally against her will and fought to keep her eyes on the road ahead of her. At the next intersection she took the right turn even though she needed to just keep going forward to get to the library and sped up as soon as she was sure that the street was empty. The Camaro turned after her and her heart plummeted down settling uncomfortable sickening feeling in her stomach. The car was too far behind for her to make out the person on the driver's seat and when she attempted to slow down a little, Camaro did the same. She did find out that all of the windows were black though but that was just as far as she could say for sure.

_Don't panic_, she told herself feeling dizzy from the rush of adrenaline in her system. _No one is going to do anything to you in the middle of the street in broad daylight_. Not that the town was too crowed at four in the afternoon and with the weather like that – thick grey clouds were hanging low in the sky just above the rooftops promising more rain later today and cold wind was chasing dray brownish leaves along the pavements and road-curb. Rare passersby were walking with their hands tucked into the pockets of their jackets and their noses buries in thick scarves. It wasn't like she was alone in the entire world, for heaven's sake!

But her hands were shaking and her palms were sticky on the black leather of the steering wheel, and Jenna totally couldn't control her breath that was short and convulsive as if she didn't have enough air to feel her lungs properly. Well, her ribcage seemed to be too small for her heart too, so maybe that was the case – it was pressing too hard on her lungs suffocating her as a kaleidoscope of horrible images flashed before her eyes.

She took another turn having no idea where she was going and not really caring either at this point as she was feverishly trying to come up with some sort of plan – any plan, really. Not that she could circle around the city for ages but…

The Camaro turned after her again and Jenna was _this_ close to having a heart attack when she nearly ran into the parked car because of being too busy staring in the rearview mirror. "Damn it," she muttered with growing frustration. It was getting ridiculous. Especially the obviousness of it – as if someone was deliberately teasing her following her like that. Spying on her secretly she could get – but this? What exactly were they going to do if she simply stopped the car and got out?

Now that was tempting, Jenna thought darkly.

_Okay then_, she decided tightening her jaw as her eyes narrowed threateningly, _one more turn and if he follows me I am so going to kick someone's ass today_. She stepped on the gas, her eyes darting between the road and side mirrors, and then hit the brakes at yet another intersection scaring a flock of birds on the low white fence near the bakery shop. Turned to the left… and let out a sigh of relief when Camaro turned to the right and sped away moving towards the northern part of the town. Jenna neared the shoulder of the road and slowed down, her gaze glued to the rearview mirror as she tried to wrap her mind around what had just happened.

_You're so losing it_, she shook her head and let out a short nervous laugh. It wasn't even funny anymore. Her paranoia grew to a size of a serious problem by the looks of it. Just because someone happened to be having to move in the same direction she was more than eager to see potential danger in it, which was probably making half of the town homicidal maniacs. _Yeah, I'll think about it in the line for group therapy_.

Still shaking her head and feeling waves of relief rolling through her, Jenna u-turned and headed for the town's center, her heart still pounding somewhat uncomfortably in her chest but it was getting back to its normal pace. A vampire couldn't have followed her in the light of the day anyway, she reminded herself. He wouldn't be so open about it, too. And come to think of it, even if the previous two statements were wrong, he still had one thousand and one chances to attack her between her leaving the home in the morning and now. But he didn't. For some reason the thought wasn't consoling and she was still having this odd feeling of wrongness but she pushed it back and willed herself not to think about it anymore.

It was just a car and it didn't mean anything. Although… was it the same car that she saw when she was coming back from the grocery store last evening? The memory made her frown. It was getting dark then but… Okay, what if it was? Mystic Falls wasn't exactly New York City, she could keep running into the same people – and their cars – all day round.

Jenna took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. She had to do something about it.

She couldn't help checking the rearview mirror every twenty seconds on her drive back to High Street but never saw a Camaro again, and ten minutes later she parked her car across the street from the old Victorian building occupied by the Mystic Falls Public Library finally letting herself relax and wincing mentally at the whole thing and her insane reaction. She killed the engine, grabbed her bag and the books from the passenger seat, pushed the door open… and was all but knocked back inside by the chilly wind.

"Could have been worse," Jenna muttered finally climbing out and catching the loose ends of her scarf that flapped behind her back before it was torn off of her neck. Pushed away the hair that the wind kept throwing in her face, adjusted her stuff in her hands and slammed the door close hurrying to get inside the library to hide from the wind. No wonder the streets were empty.

The Mystic Falls Public Library owned its glorious appearance to being a Town Hall before the new one had been built two blocks away from the old one about fifty years ago and was one of the oldest buildings of the town, its magnificent form towering above a small park. Jenna climbed up the flight of marble stairs that led to massive double doors, reached for a huge handle, pulled the door open – not without the effort… and all but bumped into Alaric who was standing before her, his arm lifted as he obviously reached for the handle on his side to push it – she just didn't give him a chance to do it.

Jenna's heart leaped and ended up thudding somewhere in her throat as they stood there and gawked at each other.

Okay, maybe she wasn't that serious about everything being over between the two of them when she said it back then. Not really. She simply couldn't do it, not like that. But she knew that he needed time and space to sort everything out for himself without her hanging around, especially assuming that she couldn't really help – as much as she'd love to. The last thing that she needed was for him to feel obliged to stay in a relationship he wasn't ready for just because it was the right thing to do according to some gentlemen code or whatever. And she could easily imagine Ric sticking to it, which was wrong by definition.

So, she helped them both dance out of it as gracefully as they could deciding that it was for the best to stay out of his way, literary, and let him understand what it was that he really wanted, knowing that with any luck she'd end up being on scenario. Or at least that was what she was trying to assure herself of. Not that it was making the whole waiting thing any easier but it was just as much as she could do for him in given circumstances.

And what Jenna expected least was to run into him like that, which left her unprepared and unsure about how to react. Which led straight to _what do I do now?_ panic because it wasn't working well with the "stay away from him" plan. But then again, she didn't come looking for him – and how about points for it? – so technically speaking she wasn't in charge for that.

"Ric," she breathed out forcing her lips to stop stretching out before she ended up grinning like a fool and trying not to beam too obviously.

_Now, speak of miracles! _

"Hi."

Alaric didn't even bother to try and hold back the smile that crossed his face, his eyes lightening as he was wrapped momentarily in the familiar warmth of her presence. He cleared his throat then, finding himself at a total loss of words by the second and feeling quite uncomfortable about that. Yeah, words were a problem, sort of.

The football practice was cancelled today due to bad weather conditions and Ric sent the entire team to the gym instead as it obviously was better than nothing at all, deciding to stop by the library to turn in some books he borrowed for his classes, not that eager to be stuck within the confines of his apartment any time soon. It was Tuesday, the Council meeting day and Damon was supposed to talk to the Sheriff and the Council members after the official gathering and then give Ric a call about the news because they were stuck without new information, but knowing that it would hardly happen before five made Alaric try to come up with a way to escape his "home, sweet home" for a while. His mind was too restless to bear the silence and closed spaces, especially when he knew he'd end up pacing aimlessly from one room to another trapped in his thoughts.

And boy, could he ever choose a better place to visit?

Except that he was feeling, like, _really_ dumb standing and staring at her like that. The wind was tearing at Jenna's hair and her short unzipped beige jacket, and her cheeks were flushed from the cold air, and the corners of her lips were tugged up slightly in that soft half-smile that she was wearing when she was feeling good that, Ric knew, she wasn't even noticing most of time, like at the moments when she didn't know he was looking at her. And he couldn't remember her being more beautiful.

The door opened again bumping into Alaric's shoulder – when did her get outside anyway? – and practically pushing him closer to Jenna as a woman in her mid-forties squeezed out trying to button up her coat and push thin-rimmed glasses up her nose without dropping a stack of books she was carrying.

"Oh, excuse me," she breathed out. "I didn't know—"

"It's okay," Ric shook his head distractedly, stepping further away from the door – and closer to Jenna – and holding it for the woman to make her way out safe.

"Thank you," she muttered on a small grateful smile and hurried down the steps.

Jenna followed her with her eyes before turning back to Alaric willing herself to _stay cool_ on "Hi," which was just the dumbest thing to say but nothing more decent came to her mind straight away.

"Hi," he repeated, actually beating her at the 'dumbest thing to say'. _O-o-kay, what now?_ "I…" _am feeling really, really stupid_, "hadn't seen much of you lately," he said, searching for the words – _any_ words – in his foggy head that would make any sense. Which was true by the way because the closest thing to Jenna that he saw in the past week was a glimpse of her car when she was dropping Elena and Jeremy off at school in the morning, and then she was off as soon as they were out. That was if they hadn't been arriving with Bonnie or Stefan.

"I was…" _sort of deliberately avoiding you for your own good, minus trying to spot you somewhere at the parking lot a couple of times… okay, four_, "a little busy. You know, school," Jenna grimaced making him smile sympathetically.

"Oh." '_Oh?' Are you serious? Geez! _"And… how is it?" _Maaaaan!_

"It was," _the only thing keeping me from actually stalking you_,_ perhaps,_ "rather tough. But," _now that you're here… and I am here… and we're both here_, "it's okay. No big deal." She pushed her hair away from her face balancing her books in another hand but fighting with the wind was making just as much sense as… well, fighting with the wind.

"Well, that's…" _the most meaningful conversation I've ever had in my entire life_, "that's good… I guess."

He locked his eyes on hers and held them only now realizing how close she was standing. So close that he could even see the scatter of golden freckles on her nose and feel the scent of her perfume – the very same one that seemed to be etched into every single item in his apartment, which wasn't exactly helping to keep his thoughts on the track. It was all still there, his memories as fresh as ever. The feel of her, the taste of her, the touch of her hands to his skin, their mingling breaths, the sound of her voice whispering his name. What a torture! Having to stand with her like that was like putting a plate of food before a starving person and only allowing him to look at it when in reality all he really wanted was to swallow it all and ask for more.

"Yeah, um, I guess. And… how is Mystic Falls High?"

"The same… I think."

"Good."

"Good."

And that was just as far as it could go without them starting to repeat themselves. Ric shifted from foot to foot not ready to actually leave but failing to find a reason to stay. He tucked his hands into the pockets of his jacket, his gaze drifted past Jenna for a moment and then returned to her, eyes narrowed a little.

"If that your car?" He asked.

She turned around to follow his gaze. "Yeah, they returned it to me at last. There are some issues with the insurance company I have to deal with but at least I have it back."

"Well, that's great," which probably sounded lame but his smile when their eyes met again was sincere, and they both fell silent for a moment when a bunch of seven-graders filed out of the door chatting and laughing and pushing each other on their way down the steps. "So…" he started. _We can still talk about the weather, which is pretty crappy today_, "I—I think I should go," _before we actually ended up talking about the weather_.

Jenna hesitated. "Ric," she called out when he already turned around to leave and waited for him to look at her again. "It was nice to see you."

His smiled softened as he nodded after a short pause. "Yeah, it was nice to see you, too."

_~ I die each time you look away_  
_My heart, my life will never be the same_  
_This love will take my everything_  
_One breath, one touch will be the end of me_

_"Love Song Requiem" by Trading Yesterday~_

* * *

Jenna strained her eyes to see anything in the pitch-black darkness around her, so thick that it seemed to be sucking in everything that it could touch. She turned around slowly and reached her hand out. The movement stirred the air making her realize how cold it was. So cold that she could practically feel it with her bones. She could barely even shiver because it was taking just too much effort which meant losing precious body heat.

She blinked a few times hoping it would help but she couldn't even see her own breath puffing out although she could clearly feel it – the contrast between it and the air around her. She took a cautious step having no idea where she was going but needed to do something. Standing there in one place surely wasn't making her any good. The air around her was heavy smelled like stone and earth as she was in the cave, which of course could explain the cold but not how she got there and that was exactly what she needed most. Well, getting out would work, too.

Another step with her arms outstretched. She kicked a small stone what rolled away from her. The echo scattered all around and died somewhere is the distance, and she paused in her tracks for a moment fighting to hear anything else, but then everything was quiet again and the only sound she could register was her shallow cautious breaths.

Okay, question – was she even moving in the right direction? Was there such thing as _right direction_ at all? It surely felt like one big black hole that swallowed her trapping her in this cold and emptiness. And yet, she couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something else in this place with her. Something was watching her, waiting, considering. She could feel the waves of danger coming from it.

On instinct, she whirled around praying it would go away. And then again. And again. But wherever she was turning, it was always behind because that was the best way to attack her so that she couldn't fight back. Hell, Jenna knew that if anything like that happened, she'd hardly even notice it. Her heartbeat was racing in her chest threatening to break through her ribcage, her breath was forced and convulsive as if she was suffocating. And she only noticed that all this time she kept backing off when her back smacked into something solid and cold, and she span around, taking an impulsive step back and nearly losing her balance on uneven floor (ground?).

It took Jenna a few agonizingly terrifying moments – during which she expected to have her head ripped off or something like that – to understand that she must have bumped into the wall or whatever it was. She took a few deep breaths feeling slightly lightheaded and wondering somewhere in the back of her mind how much oxygen this place held in case it was closed or blocked, not really bothering to try and find out how she ended up here in the first place. She steadied herself and groped for the wall yet again until her fingers brushed against cold rough surface of a stone. She pressed her palm into it for a moment wrapping her mind around the fact that is wasn't indeed black hole of some sort. Not that it was changing anything but the realization was soothing, and eventually her heartbeat slowed down and she stopped seeing spots flashing before her eyes.

Holding onto the wall not to get lost – as in _even more lost_ – she stared moving forward still listening with all her might. And then stopped short after a while when she realized that that darkness around her faded a little going more into grayish colors from the light forcing its way from somewhere above her.

Jenna let go off the wall and made a few sure steps before all but stumbling at the sight of something lying on the ground a few feet away from her. She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head to her shoulder trying to catch a better angle and not quite daring to come any closer as if something was holding her back. A black heap on the slightly lighter floor that looked very much like—

She knew what it was, and she knew that she knew what it was, but her mind was fighting against it refusing to accept it. And then the fear crept in on her consuming her completely, and she knew what it meant and where she was and _what_ was watching her all the time.

A noise behind her back – intentional without a doubt, aimed to attract her attention – made Jenna freeze to her spot. She could feel her hair move on the nape of her neck as chill ran down her spine. She turned around before she knew how it happened unable to bear that heavy stare burning into her back.

"Hello, Jenna."

**To be continued…

* * *

**

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	11. Chapter 11

**Author's note:** Update! And under 10K words – wow! :))

Thanks for support and patience, guys :)

* * *

**Chapter 11 **

Jenna jerked back. It was so dark… Too dark to see anything but the outline of someone standing a few feet away from her, their form blending with the blackness all around them. She fought to strain her eyes to make out more but they only started to hurt. Her heart was pounding heavily and the adrenaline rushing through her body made her dizzy and distracted. The spots were dancing before her eyes and her heavy breath was puffing out in small white clouds. If there were any other sounds around, she was completely deaf to them.

She could feel the danger and darkness coming from the person before her with every cell of her body, so strong and suffocating that it was making her sick to the stomach. The animal fear was rising inside of her in waves that threatened to sweep her off of her feet any moment and carry her into the land of never-ending nightmares and pain. Everything inside of her twisted into a tight knot when the realization that it wasn't a dream sunk in.

It wasn't real. In the back of her mind Jenna knew that it wasn't happening to her. How could it? This paralyzing fear was nothing but the trick of her mind, like in the nightmares when she was seeing blood and death. It was the same, she told herself. It couldn't possibly be anything else. But this time she knew it was a lie. She knew it was real and she knew that there was no escape. She was trapped. Hell, she couldn't see a thing!

The shadow moved, or at least it seemed to her that it moved, and Jenna jerked away as if something invisible pushed her in the chest. She stumbled on uneven ground beneath her feet and lost her balance. Her arms flailed into the air as she fell, scraping the gentle skin of her knees and palms, and scooted hurriedly backwards until her back hit one of the stony walls, its rough surface digging painfully into her skin through the thin fabric of her shirt. But, to be honest, Jenna couldn't care less.

A short humorless sneer made her blood run cold in her veins and she swallowed hard past the lump in her throat as she kept gasping for air, unable to fill her lungs properly. She was starting to feel lightheaded and somewhat unfocused, as if the reality suddenly zoomed out and the edges blurred. She fought to say something, ask what the hell was going on and where she was and how she got there, but when she opened her mouth, all she could do was keep breathing heavily. Her tongue was just too thick and big and her throat seemed to be too dry to produce any sounds at all. So she kept opening and closing it like a fish that was thrown out of the water as she tried to collect her thoughts together, failing miserably.

The cold from the stone was penetrating through her clothes and her skin, and in no time her entire body was shaking violently as she tried her best to mold herself into the rock. Her fingers kept scraping painfully against the ground and stone as she searched for something to grasp onto instinctively. The fog in her head was making it hard to think. Was it because of panic or something else, Jenna didn't know. All she knew was that was probably it.

"No need to be scared," low voice hissed from the dark reaching her ears and making Jenna go completely rigid. She couldn't recognize it. Couldn't even define if it belonged to a man or a woman. It was more of a whoosh of a breath than of an actual sound, and yet too loud in absolute silence to miss it. The weird part though was that it soothed her a little, made her muscles relax and Jenna let out a long breath she didn't even notice she was holding – as if someone suddenly wrapped a blanket around her taking away all the fear and keeping her calm and sedated and pretty much dead to the entire world. Her eyes were glued to the dark figure when it stepped closer and into the pool of grayish light, finally gaining actual shape, and they grew wider when she took in the details once she could register them. Her heart plummeted down and was pounding slowly somewhere in the bottom of her stomach echoing dully in her ears. "It will be okay."

* * *

It was the sun glinting straight into her face – right through her eyelids and at the back of her skull, or so it seemed – that woke Jenna up. That, and a vague feeling of a somewhat familiar comfort that felt oddly wrong for some reason. Her limbs felt heavy in that pleasant relaxed way that made her wish she didn't have to move, ever, and her head was empty, and for the first time in a while she was decently rested. And she couldn't decide if it was a good thing or bad.

Slowly, Jenna pried her eyes open and then closed them tight instantly when the sunlight hit them and thumped her head into the pillow on a groan. Breathing in soft scent of the fabric softener lingering on the pillowcase set off some inner alarm and she wondered absently why on earth was the sun shining in her face in the first place if, technically speaking, the window was supposed to be behind her, or at least that was where it had always been as far as she remembered. Unless, of course, the whole world turned upside down while she was asleep, which wouldn't have surprised her. To be honest, it wouldn't have surprised her at all.

The wrongness of the situation struck her, and Jenna rubber her eyes trying to clear the sleepiness out of them. Opened them again, blinking and waiting for them to adjust, and then stilled when she saw Isobel Fleming Saltzman staring back at her from the framed photo on the desk a few feet away from her. Someone might have as well poured a bucked of ice-cold water on her and it wouldn't have had a better wake up effect.

Jenna sat up at lightning speed as her heart plummeted down, looking around with a mixture of confusion and cautiousness as if she wasn't sure she could trust her eyes.

Yep, no mistake. She was at Ric's, sitting on top of his bed covered with a soft checked wool plaid. The observation did nothing to explain how she got there. She looked down herself to find out that she was wearing her pajama shorts and a t-shirt, the exact same ensample she put on before going to bed the previous night, which wasn't helping the matters much either. And this was, like, the weirdest situation she'd found herself in, ever. Not that she believed it was the last one though.

"Ric?" She called in a low sleep-affected voice tossing the plaid aside and getting up. Spotted her black ballerinas on the floor by the bed but didn't give the fact that she came here wearing shoes much thought. It was the least intriguing fact at the moment. She crossed the room deliberately avoiding looking at the photo and pulled the bedroom door open. Swallowed to clear her throat and called out again, "Ric?" as she stepped outside.

The whole apartment remained completely silent with the exception of the clock ticking loudly on the wall in the hall. For some reason it sounded creepy. She padded down the corridor and into the sunlit living room. Noted that it was a little past ten in the morning and that the entire place smelled like fresh coffee. From where she was standing, Jenna saw a half-full pot and red light that meant that the coffee machine was still on.

Ooookay…..

She tried to collect her thoughts together but the black hole in her mind wasn't working all that well with the plan. She fought to remember something – anything, really – but there was nothing between going to bed and waking up here, and it seriously bothered her, to say the least. Of course waking up at Ric's was much better than waking up somewhere in Kansas. Hell, it was better than waking anywhere in the entire world, but it wasn't exactly making it any less terrifying, period. How _could_ she not remember a thing?

Because this is how we roll, baby, Jenna told herself sourly. Lifted her arm to rake her fingers through her hair and push it away from her forehead, and froze when she noticed something strange out of the corner of her eye.

She lowered her arm down and stared at her wrist. It was bandaged. Frowning, she pulled it off feeling the anxiety grow inside of her, and then felt the ground sway beneath her feet.

"Oh my God," she breathed out as something cold and sickening settled in the pit of her stomach at the sight of two semi-circles of dried blood that formed a perfect bite-mark. A vampire one, without a doubt because... because what else could it possibly be? "Oh my God," she repeated numbly and took a small step back as if attempting to run away from her own body.

Her eyes narrowed in disbelief while her mind fought to wrap around the fact of what she was seeing. What the… how was it even possible? Hell, was it even real?

The whole situation reminded her of a very twisted nightmare, Hitchcock edition. Some part of her wondered vaguely if she was going to see dead birds and empty streets covered with pools of blood if she looked outside the window that very moment.

Yeah, go imagine that you got stuck in some freaking Matrix, Jenna flinched at the thought, and then let out an exasperated sigh. Expecting the worst, she examined her left wrist but didn't find so much as a scratch, and then studied the bite-mark again. She had to remember how it happened, hadn't she? Of course she had. It must have hurt one way or another. Except that she didn't.

It felt wrong. Everything felt wrong. Even she herself felt odd and out of place.

Jenna rubbed her forehead trying to think straight as her eyes wandered sightlessly around. If it was ten, then Ric was in the beginning of his second class if she wasn't mistaken. She'd wait for him. He had to know something, right? She did get inside somehow after all. He had to have some explanation to all of that. This poor imitation of a plan made her feel a little better, clearing her mind before the panic threw her over the edge which she knew was close. Well, at any rate it was a good start.

Absently, she wandered across the living room bathing in the early sunlight that cast streaks through the curtains, came up to the window and peeked outside, half plain restless, half wishing to be proved wrong about dead birds because, honestly, somewhere in the back of her mind she did expect to see it. But all she saw, to her endless relief, was a car turning around the corner and a young woman jogging down the street, her hoody zipped up to her throat and a golden retriever running before her on the leash. The dog barked bringing the sound back to her world.

Jenna flopped down onto the coach then pulling one knee up to her chest and tapped her fingers thoughtfully on the armrest, trying to ignore her right wrist completely and forget about the very fact of being bitten altogether for a while. Not an easy thing to do but her head was going to explode if she tried to think about everything at once.

It happened again, didn't it? It'd been quiet lately. No dreams, no sleep walking for a few days. No phone calls, or messages, or notes, or stalkers as well. The life got back to an ordinary routine. Like a calm before the storm. She should have known it was deceptive – too good to be true. Only this time it moved to a whole new level, and the thought made her stomach twist. Made her wonder how far exactly it could go, given the chance? And why, why was she here, of all places?

She let her gaze drift around the room, along the walls, past the bar counter that separated the living room from the kitchen and across the bookshelves stopping when she caught sight of something… well, _something_ that she couldn't quite put her finger on.

Curious, Jenna pushed herself up and strolled to the far corner. Her eyes traveled along the row of books shifting down to where a neat stack of labeled folders occupied the shelf, one of them sticking out a little as if someone took it recently and then didn't bother to put it back properly.

Jenna pulled the folder out from beneath the other two that lay on top of it. A simple plastic thing with the strings wrapped around its corners to keep it close. No label. Her fingers pulled the strings off of the will of their own and the frown creased her brows.

Inside, she found newspaper clippings – some quite old and yellowish from time, others new and rather recent, copies of police protocols and notes made in neat handwriting that she recognized immediately. Holding the folder carefully in one hand, she flipped through its contents catching the titles of the articles – _"Two bodies found in the woods", "A group of young campers goes missing", "Animal attacks terrorize small town in Virginia", "Young woman drained of blood discovered on the outskirts of Mystic Falls, the investigation continues"_ and many others. All of them connected to the area one way or another.

And then, below all of that, were the papers regarding Isobel, starting the day she went missing, and what Jenna guessed were her own notes and research results, or whatever, all clipped together and separated from the rest. All pointing at Mystic Falls.

She went through the entire stack once again paying closer attention now. That was probably what led Alaric here in the first place, his research that started with his wife's disappearance two years ago. Having all of this before her eyes, she could practically _feel_ how bad he wanted to find her.

Jenna frowned wondering if he still was as much on it as before he'd found out the truth about Isobel. Well, he clearly wasn't _over_ it, assuming that some of the stuff was rather new. Over it or over _her_, a small evil voice singsonged mischievously in her head, giving her stomach another uncomfortable twist. And didn't she know an answer to that question? She pushed it away though and focused on the papers in her hands. Boy, he did an enormous work linking all these cases to one place and, well, certain cause. Ric's persistence was admirable, to say the least. It made her worry though, too. Did his crusade even have expiration date?

She put the folder down onto the table and then looped a strand of hair around her ear as she flipped through his own notes having no idea what she was looking for, exactly. There was something lingering in the back of her mind that she couldn't grasp. For some reason all the pieces of the picture didn't want to fall together but the wrongness of the situation that bugged Jenna didn't let her just wave it off.

The click of the front door lock startled her, making her spin around as she nearly dropped everything she'd been holding.

"Crap," she muttered under her breath hurriedly stuffing the papers back into the folder and struggling with the strings. She shoved it back onto the shelf hoping it looked the same as before she poked her curious nose into it, and turned around right in time to see Alaric walk in holding a paper-bag in his hand and unzipping his jacket, his cheeks flushed from chilly air and his hair rumpled by the wind. And tried to look innocent.

He stopped short when he spotted her, his hand stilling on the zipper as he took his time to collect his thoughts together, sort of.

"Hi," Jenna offered him an uncertain smile, the _hey-here-I-am-standing-in-your-living-room-in-my-pajama-after-waking-up-in-your-bed-not-a-half-an-hour-ago_ kind, with a slight _I'm-your-ex-by-the-way_ subtext. She was pretty sure there was a big sign saying _Awkward_ flashing somewhere above her head.

"Hey… you're up," was the best thing Alaric managed to come up with as he studied her if a little warily, or so it seemed to her, searching her face for something, which gave Jenna another round of questions.

"I am. And… you're not at school," she echoed stating the obvious.

Eventually, the words made their way through the chaos in his head.

"Yeah, I—I called in sick," he explained somewhat distractedly, putting the bag onto the coffee table and continuing to watch her with the expression she couldn't define. He didn't exactly say _Not to leave you alone here _but it went so well with the context that actual words weren't all that necessary.

Jenna nodded, glanced around the room, clenched her hands together and unclenched them again. "So, the million dollar question," she started cautiously turning to him at last, "what am I doing here?"

Clearly, the question confused him. "You don't remember?"

She blinked. "Should I?" Asked in a small miserable voice and then let out a humorless bark of a laugh. "Oh God, of course I should." She shook her head. "But the fun thing is – I don't! All I remember is going to sleep in my own bed at home, which is just crazy, right? And then I wake up here—"

"Jenna—"

"—feeling like I got lost in some _Twilight Zone_ and wondering if I was the only living creature left on the planet. Like in these old creepy sci-fi movies, you know?"

"Jenna…"

"And it doesn't really happen to me every day. And you weren't here, and I—" Breathless, Jenna stopped abruptly when she suddenly realized that she started pacing nervously without even noticing it. She let out a long exasperated sigh and let her shoulders sag helplessly. "Sorry," she breathed out giving Ric a weak apologetic smile, "Stressing out much, I guess."

He smiled back and nodded with understanding, conceding her point. "Are you okay?"

She let out another short laugh. "Do I have to answer that?" Shifted from foot to foot restlessly and cleared her throat meeting his eyes. "So…um, what's your part of the story? And don't leave out any embarrassing juicy details." Which she was dreading to hear to be honest, but it was like with the band-aid – better tear it off in one quick move.

Her question made the corners of Ric's lips tug up a little. "You're going to get bored," he told her.

"Surprise me."

"Well," he leaned against the kitchen counter, his hands gripping plastic edge on both sides of his hips, "You showed up in the middle of the night. I don't know, some time around three." He couldn't sleep and ended up working late because it was the only thing that could effectively keep his mind busy and off of… a lot of things. "I opened the door, and you were there… and then you just passed out." He paused, waiting for the information to sink it.

"Perfect," Jenna chuckled ruefully. Of all people…! "It was supposed to be… fancier, you know?" Lame, but joking about it was helping. "I don't usually do the damsel in distress thing but…" She trailed off and shook her head.

"I thought something happened," Alaric continued watching her closer now, let his voice drop a little to a more soothing level, not really caring that he let some of the emotions slip, "but it turned out you were just deep asleep. And, technically speaking, that's it."

He did leave out some parts though. Like the one where he nearly had an honest to God heart attack when she collapsed. Or the one where he carried her to his bedroom, torn between calling ER, the Gilberts, Damon and State Troops, and then spent the rest of the night sitting by the bed and watching her sleep, adjusting the plaid every time she stirred, or pacing around the room restlessly checking on her every couple of minutes, all the while trying not to freak out to death because, truth be told, she did scare hell out of him. Man, she had no idea!

And there was no way he'd ever acknowledge the part where he found himself sitting in a crouch beside the bed at some point watching her features, and stroking her hair, and whispering some nonsense to sooth himself more than her as his heart constricted every single time he let the thought about something actually happening to her creep into his mind for the smallest fracture of a moment.

He had another _punch-in-the-gut-and-carpet-pulled-out-from-beneath-his-feet_ moment when he saw the bite-mark on Jenna's wrist which nearly set off his panic all over again. Okay, screw that. It _did_ set off his panic. In fact, he had a pleasure to experience a whole new extent of it. But since it was just as far as he could go, he focused on the task at hand and took care of the bleeding spot having no idea if there was anything else he could do. Like, _at all_.

Also, he kept secret the fact that she had a note clutched in her fist written in what Alaric guessed was Jenna's own blood, its letters smudged as if whoever wrote it didn't bother to wait for the blood to dry properly. It read "_It's not the end_", which left him with uneasy feeling for a million of different reasons.

Tired beyond imaginable, he fell asleep after a while half-sitting, half-lying on the chair to wake up at the break of dawn a couple of hours later with his body aching in places he had no idea a human being could feel at all and fearing that something might have happened to Jenna over this time. Or worse – to find her missing. She was still sound asleep though, to his endless overwhelming relief, looking peaceful enough to make him envy her in that department.

He called the school office to inform them in a low voice that he wouldn't be coming today and then, after a long self-debate, took a trip to the nearest bakery once he realized that he didn't have any food at his place except for a pack of frozen beans and some coffee in the cupboard. She was safe at his place. The idea arose a wave of protest inside of him at first but he needed some time to clear his mind and try to figure out what had happened at night. Not that it worked. Not only was he still clueless, but Ric managed to get to the point where any of his theories turned into a total crap. But at least he had food now.

"Well, better your place than Nebraska," Jenna noted sourly running her fingers through her hair as she took her bottom lip between her teeth, her expression thoughtful. When did her life become so crazy, anyway?

The sound of her voice snapped him out of his thoughts "Nebraska?"

"Mm, secret fear. Never mind." She made a funny face and gave him a _You-don't-want-to-know-it_ look.

She looked rather distressed though, Alaric noted. Not on the surface. Keeping a face was one of the things she knew how to do well, he had to give her that. But there was some edginess to her and he could feel something bothering her on the inside. He winced. Yeah, and she had _no_ reasons for that!

Still, he decided not to push. "So, would you like to have some coffee?" He asked breaking the silence that settled between them for a couple of minutes as he headed to the kitchen to start another pot shrugging out of his jacket on the way. "I've got croissants, too." Well, apparently it wasn't _that_ hard to force his own concerns back not to make it any worse for her and keep his voice light.

"Coffee would be nice," Jenna admitted. She felt… not herself, clammy and all wrinkled, like a piece of paper rolled into a ball. "Ric?"

"Mm?

"Um… Is it okay if I take a shower?"

"Sure," Alaric looked at her over his shoulder and nodded on a small smile. "Be my guest." His face softened gaining that somewhat wondering expression that made her wish she could read his mind.

She nodded too and turned around to hide her own smile. Oh, this was definitely much better than Nebraska. Minus the freak out part, but in the end she decided she might have as well focused on the bright sides of the situation.

* * *

Twenty minutes and a mug of coffee later, Alaric turned around to the almost soundless footsteps to find Jenna entering the living room wearing his grey-and-white checked flannel button-up shirt, her hair clipped up somehow leaving a few shorter strands to frame her face. She looked around until her eyes fixed on his and let her lips curve.

Now that was a full-blown sucker punch that left him completely breathless for who knew how long and he swallowed hard, noting vaguely in the back of his mind that _gawking_ was probably a very undignified word. Yet, it was exactly what he was doing.

She quirked her eyebrows quizzically at his scrutiny – technically speaking, it wasn't _gawking_ as long as his jaw stayed in its place, and it was a huge success considering the view and the effect she was having on him in general – and Ric cleared his throat, slightly embarrassed and feeling the color rise up his cheeks.

"I hope it's okay," Jenna said looking pointedly down herself.

He gave her a deliberate appreciating once-over and let his lips stretch into a cheeky grin to ease the tension. "Sure, absolutely."

Amused, Jenna shook her head rewarding him with a _Look-what-I-have-to-deal-with_ expression warming up on the inside.

On the bar counter she spotted a mug of coffee, the one that he made for her apparently, and a plate with croissants and some other pastry. She took the mug and made a cautious sip in case the coffee was hot, which it was, but at the same time it made her feel much better by the second.

"You—you really don't remember anything?" Alaric asked coming closer and stopped on the other side of the counter across from her.

"Nope," Jenna shook her head. "Unless morning news refresh my memory," she added as an afterthought. Ric's brow cocked up questioningly. "In case I slaughtered half of the town," she met his eyes then, struck by the idea. "Tell me I didn't do that."

"Not that I've noticed," Alaric assured her, chucking at her close-to-genuine horror.

"Good," she exhaled out with visible relief. "It's not like I can control this thing," added in a whoosh of breath, more to herself than to him by the sound of it.

Her words caught him off guard. "Wait—what?" Ric put his mug down and pierced her with her gaze, frowning. "Are you saying it happened before?"

_Well, if it were a one-time thing, it would be too good to be true, wouldn't it? _

"A couple of times," Jenna shrugged matter-of-factly as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Took another sip of coffee. Paused. "Well, maybe three," she admitted reluctantly and grabbed warm croissant from the plate, more for distraction than out of actual hunger.

Alaric's frown deepened. He kept studying her with a mixture of puzzlement and disbelief. "Why didn't you call me, Jenna?" The question came out of his mouth before he knew it, and by the time Alaric realized he actually asked it out loud, it was too late to swallow the words back.

_Don't do that, Ric. Don't try to pretend that nothing changed between us, _she pleaded was she supposed to answer that question?

"I didn't know it would be like that," her voice dropped as she held his gaze. "I've never—I've never left the house before. I didn't even know it could happen." She let the façade slip knowing that she did sound helpless and frightened now. "Besides, this thing—it can be anything, Ric." And here's to self-reassurance. "Like, stress, or exhaustion, or-"

"A vampire," he offered helpfully.

Jenna smirked and demonstrated him her wrist. "I'm working on that theory now."

_Yeah, about that…_ "We should take care of this."

It took Alaric not more than half a minute to go to the bedroom and come back with the first-aid kid which he had left there last night.

"I think it's fine," Jenna sipped some more coffee and studied the bite-mark thoughtfully. "In fact, I think I am kind of getting used to it."

"It stands out," he pointed out.

_Oh, right_.

She let him take her hand in his. His palm was dry and little rugged against her skin, and the warmth of it went up Jenna's arm making it tingle a little. Making Alaric's proximity even more evident as she fought hard to ignore it before she said or did something ridiculously stupid. She watched him sprinkle something on the cotton pad and then felt the cool touch of it to her hand as his fingers moved surely and gently around the spot. Had a chance to study him properly for the first time in a long while and found herself holding back the wish to reach out and smooth the crease between his brows.

"I don't get it," she said after a while, frowning too. "Why would they do that?"

"Someone tried to make you their dinner," he supposed with fake easiness keeping his emotions at bay, as if they were talking about… golf, or something else neither of them gave crap about.

It was scaring him, making him want to scream in helpless fury. Now that the initial panic ebbed and he could think about something else, sort of, the whole horror of the situation sunk in making him feel sick. Someone lured Jenna out of the house. They hurt her, tried to feed off her. What if they…? God, he didn't want to go any further in his speculations or he'd lose him mind.

And then it struck him that no matter how much he'd wanted to know what had happened, it was probably better for her not to remember anything because who knew what it would make to her.

He let out a soft sigh fighting to keep his expression blank and not let any of his emotions slip. There was only one thought pounding in his head – if he ever found… wait, scratch that – _when_ he found whoever was doing all of this to her, he'd rip them to pieces with his bare hands for only the idea of coming close to her.

"Well, I figured that," she told him, oblivious to his internal turmoil, "but I am all vervained, so… the point?"

The question was rhetorical but Alaric responded all the same, "They decided to give it a shot." He lifted his gaze to her face, losing the train of his thought, very well aware by the second how close she was standing watching him with her big blue eyes. It didn't go past him that she looked tired and these circles under her eyes pointed at the lack of proper sleep, which of course was explicable, but… Very close, in fact. His eyes went down and lingered on her lips. So close that he could just— He cleared his throat. "How are you feeling? Dizzy? Lightheaded?"

"No, why?"

"Symptoms of the blood loss."

"I feel stupid. Does it count?" She made a funny face making Ric break into a smile.

He tossed the cotton pads into the trash bin and then wrapped gauze bandage around her wrist tucking the loose ends under the layers before finally letting go of her hand.

"As good as new," told her softly catching her eyes again.

Jenna studied it closely. "Now I look like some emo teenager who cuts wrists because life sucks," she observed skeptically.

"I think it adds charm," Ric winked at her.

It was good. It felt good, just to be around him, Jenna thought suddenly, feeling bittersweet sadness. She missed this more than anything – their companionship of some sort. The way they could just be themselves around each other, and talk, and laugh. She stopped herself before her thoughts drifted any farther than that to other things that also felt good. More than good.

"I'm sorry for all this mess," she said softly. "I didn't mean to drag you into all of this, not like that—"

"I think I volunteered," Alaric reassured her in easy voice. "Does anyone know? Elena? Jeremy?"

Jenna reached out and set her hair free letting it fall on her shoulders and back. He saw that it was a plain pencil from his stationery set that kept it up, finding it oddly endearing for some reason. She gave her head a quick shake for her tresses to settle naturally and then said, "No, I failed to put it into words without sounding like I have lost my mind. Besides, I hoped it would stop, you know?" She shrugged half-heartedly fiddling with the pencil in her fingers before putting it onto the counter. "I take it you didn't happen to see my car outside, did you?"

"Nope." He shook his head. "Look, I'll take you home whenever you want."

"I cannot go anywhere like that," she groaned looking down herself with obvious displeasure. "It is disturbing enough to know that someone probably saw me wandering around the town in my pajama on my way here… and God only knows where else." She grimaced and then scowled when saw him trying to keep his lips from stretching. "And you're laughing at me."

"I just think you look good," he told her good-naturedly.

"Yeah, right." Jenna raked her fingers through her hair fluffing it a little and then padded to the living room, picked up the phone and dialed familiar number. "Hey, Elena, it's me." She chirped when Elena's phone went to the voicemail. "Um, funny story… call to Ric's when you get this."

* * *

In a couple of hours the world got back to its original place. Or at least she managed to assure herself of that. Jenna picked up the newspaper from the table beside the couch. It was the last week's issue but it wasn't the latest news that she was interested in. What caught her attention was a photo of a dark-haired girl on the front page, which looked familiar. She scanned short articles beneath it – barely a few lines – before realization came, and frowned then. Hollie Mathews.

"She was in Jeremy's class," she said catching Alaric's quizzical gaze across the room and put the newspaper back.

"Yes, I knew her," Ric cut off and corrected himself, "I _know_ her. Hollie. She is in my class."

"Do you think it could be…" Jenna started and then trailed off leaving the question unfinished although they both knew what she was talking about.

"I don't know. I hope not," he said honestly knowing better than feeding her some false optimistic crap. Either way, vampires or not – the girl was still missing and that was a tragedy regardless of the reasons. And he knew her. It was always harder that way.

Slowly, she nodded. "Has there been any news?" She asked somewhat warily studying his face now that his gaze was glued to the photo.

"No," Alaric shook his head. "We've been—"

The knock on the door cut him off and they both whipped their heads around.

"That must be Elena." Jenna hopped off of the couch and headed to the hall, and added on a look over her shoulder, "I asked her to bring me some clothes."

"Here?" Alaric's brows shot up so high that they almost disappeared in his hairline as he followed her, just in case it was someone else. "She's not going to let you get away with this."

"Oh yeah," Jenna drawled pondering true expand of the disaster. Not that she had any choice…

She swung the door open to find a very busy-looking Elena standing outside with one of the boutique paper bags in her hand and studying thoughtfully something in the depth of the hallway. Curious, Jenna craned her neck but didn't see anything but a big flowerpot with some sort of a palm-like thing in the corner. Elena turned her head giving Jenna a pleasure of observing a full spectrum of emotions flashing across her face from worry, to confusion, to satisfaction. The latter made her lips stretch into a grin.

"Elena," Jenna sighed with relief grabbing the girl by the hand and pulling her inside. "Thanks for coming."

"Well, of course, because that's what I usually do at lunch," Elena informed her eagerly giving Jenna a pointed once-over and raising her brows meaningfully at the sight at Alaric's shirt and, well, everything. "Or because I had a full freak-out experience when you left this vague message. I thought something had happened," she said with reproach. "Something more dramatic than _that_, I mean."

"Elena," Ric joined them and paused at the wall, his hands crossed on his chest and his uneasiness speaking volumes.

"Oh, hey, Ric," she smiled at him.

"That's mine, right?" Jenna took the bag from the girl's hand and poked her nose inside to find her jeans, a long-sleeved t-shirt and a jacket. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Well, I've got to be back to school now," Elena checked her watch before looking at them in turns. "I'm glad you guys got over your issues and are back together," she added. And then kicked herself mentally when Jenna's smile faded and she dropped her gaze down and Alaric looked away clearing his throat, and even the air became cooler by the second. "Or not," she muttered feeling endlessly uncomfortable, and really, really puzzled because – _seriously? _

"I should… there's something…" Ric mumbled before giving Elena a small nod and a wave of his hand and scramming. "I'll see you later, Elena."

"Sorry," Elena mouthed soundlessly when she met Jenna's eyes again. "I thought…" she faltered running her eyes up and down her aunt's outfit with a new sort of apprehension. "What's going on here?"

Jenna there a quick look over her shoulder. "It's hard to explain," she made a face at her niece. "Are you, guys, okay? Where's Jeremy?"

"Yeah, we're fine. I saw him in chemistry class just before I left," Elena responded absently, not letting herself be distracted. "Jenna, I'm serious," her voice was filled with worry now.

"I thought you needed to get back to school, no?" Jenna reminded her innocently.

"But—" Elena tried to object. "I come here at my lunch after that vague confusing message, and see you like this, and you won't even tell me what happened?"

"Lunch, right! Do you want Danish?" She asked and added with fake excitement, "I think we have cherry ones."

Elena's brows came together as she studied Jenna carefully. Her eyes flickered past her aunt's shoulder and into the depth of Alaric's apartment. "Look—" she started in a voice that implied that she was not going to move until she got her answers.

"It's fine," Jenna reassured her. "We'll—we'll talk later okay? Now, go to school."

"But—" she started again, still unconvinced. To hell with school, the world wouldn't end if she skipped the rest of the classes because something really bizarre was going on here. Elena cut herself off. It was Alaric for God's sake, what could possibly—

"Have a nice day, I'll see you at home!"

Jenna slammed the door shut and then closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she counted till ten in her mind before opening them again. Added mentally yet another point to the list of things she'd have to deal with. Soon. If only she could just sneak out…

"I'm sorry about that," she said when she returned to the living room and found him rearranging the books on the shelf.

Ric turned to the sound of her voice. "It's okay," he said shaking his head.

"Okay," Jenna nodded. "I should probably get dressed and—" _get the hell out of here_. Another knock on the door stopped her in mid-sentence. They exchanged puzzled looks. "I'll get it. It must be Elena, maybe she forgot something." _Like, to make another dozen of witty comments_. She put her bag onto the couch and returned to the hall, reached for the door knob and pulled it open on, "Seriously, everything's—" and chocked on her own words freezing to a spot as chill ran down her spine under the somewhat curious gaze of these dark piercing eyes.

"You must be Jenna," Isobel said casually which wasn't a question because she obviously knew perfectly well who she was talking to.

"I believe we've met already," Jenna retorted coolly, her fingers flexed on the doorknob.

"Not officially."

"It was memorable anyway."

Amused, Isobel inclined her head slightly to her shoulder studying the woman before her which made Jenna a little self-conscious reminding her of what she actually looked like, especially compared to Alaric's vampire ex in her trendy knee-long coat and with her perfect hair falling on her shoulders in heavy thick waves. She had style, Jenna couldn't deny that.

"Isobel?" Ric's voice wasn't anywhere close to welcoming when he suddenly appeared behind Jenna's back. She was too busy trying to burn Isobel with the power of her will to notice him coming. "What are you doing here?"

Neatly, he sidestepped Jenna away from the door putting himself between her and his ex wife, his eyes narrowed with suspicion and his jaw set tight. On long parting glare, Jenna walked away noting out of the corner of her eye how Alaric's wife craned her neck to follow her with her gaze.

"You little pet here has got temper," Isobel told him, smirking.

"Leave Jenna alone," Alaric tensed momentarily, his expression became dark and determined.

She ignored him though. "What's her problem?"

"You tried to kill her."

"Right," she nodded as if suddenly remembering it. "It was an accident, doesn't she know that?"

"What do you want?" He asked dryly.

"Oh, I hope I didn't interrupt anything?"

"What do you want?" Alaric repeated slowly.

"How about I come in and we will talk?" Isobel offered, not at all taken aback by his unfriendly reception.

He snickered humorlessly. "Yeah, sure. And how about you get the hell out of here?"

"She's in trouble, right?"

Ric tensed. "What do you know about it?" He asked in a low dangerous voice. The only thing that kept him from shaking the information out of her was that he didn't want to leave safe confines of his apartment. Not with Jenna inside. Well, that, and the fact that Isobel was much stronger and would hardly let him lay so much as a finger on her.

"Only that you accused me of having something to do with it," she shrugged. "Oh, don't look at me like that! You and the Salvatore brothers running around the town frantically. Too hard not to notice and put two and two together. But I can help you deal with it because, believe me, I am more resourceful than Damon or Stefan, or Damon and Stefan together. And _a lot_ more resourceful than you."

"Why?" He asked calmly, suddenly drained of all emotions. "Why would you do that?"

"Because I love you, Ric."

He considered her words for a moment before shaking his head as his lips curved into a bitter sneer. "Drop dead, Isobel," and he slammed the door in her face.

"Think about it!" She called out from behind it which he preferred to ignore.

When he returned to the living room, Jenna had already changed into her clothes and was putting her pajama into the bag, his shirt she was wearing before lay neatly folded on the couch and her jacket was draped casually over its back.

She straightened up to the sound of his footsteps to give him a quick sliding glace – just to make sure he was alone, feeling slightly relived that he actually was – and then looked down again, suddenly finding her stuff extremely interesting.

"Can you take me home now?" Jenna asked in a flat voice, her expression blank.

"Jenna—" he started if a little helplessly.

She looked up, locked her eyes on his. "Please."

And hell if he could read her. For all he could tell, she couldn't care less. About Isobel, or him, or this whole situation. Apparently, she simply wanted to go home. Reluctantly, Ric nodded cursing Isobel mentally. "Sure."

He found his car keys, waited for Jenna to pull on her jacket and followed her outside.

The drove in silence. She kept staring out the passenger window all the way down to the Gilberts' house, and all Alaric could do was cast quick glances at her every now and then noting that she didn't so much as move in all fifteen minutes of their ride.

He left the car too and walked after Jenna along the paved pathway and up the porch steps feeling awkward and completely out of place. At the door she turned to him. Her features softened and the smile that she offered was genuine.

"Thanks," she said sincerely. "For putting up with all of that, and… for everything."

"Sure," he shrugged nonchalantly. Stuffed his hands into the pockets of his pants and cleared his throat. "Look, Jenna, I… I want you to know that I'm—that you can always call me, if you need anything or if something happens. Anytime, okay?"

She couldn't help smiling at that. "Okay," she responded hoping it did sound like _Okay_ and not like _No way in hell_. "We're still friends, right?"

Ric flinched inwardly. _Friends!_ He hated the word.

"Of course," he agreed easily, and then, "Listen, about Isobel—I'm sorry, I didn't know she'd show up and—" _ruin everything, again_.

"Don't," she stopped him and shook her head, and at this very moment he hated himself for that understanding that he saw on her face. Well, she was getting it all wrong but— "You don't have to explain anything to me. It's none of my business."

He felt stuck.

An awkward silence settled between them for a few painfully long moments.

Jenna looked around. "Thanks for the ride," she said again. "Um, would you—" started then.

"No, I should probably—" He trailed off nodding towards his car.

"Yeah, well, I guess I have to—" She followed his gaze before looking back at him.

"So, I'll see you later?"

"Sure." She nodded willing herself to keep breathing steadily.

She reached for the doorknob but didn't even touch it when it swung wide as John pulled it open from the inside. Surprised, he stopped short when he saw her on the doorstep and Alaric hovering somewhere in the background.

"Jenna?"

"John," she echoed in disinterested voice.

His gaze slid past her for the barest of moments but he did not acknowledge Alaric's presence in any other way. "Good," he said instead. "I wanted to talk to you."

She gave him a dark glare that she hoped told him everything she thought about the idea. Dealing with John was the last thing she was up to at the moment. "Not now," she said circling him around to get inside the house.

"It's urgent." He caught her by the elbow, his voice impatient.

But even before Jenna could turn – to kill him or something – his grasp was gone and the next moment she heard loud cracking noise somewhere to the right form her. Confused, she span around to find Ric holding John by the collar of his black leather jacket. And apparently the sound that she registered was plastic panels cracking under the impact when Alaric smacked him into the outer wall with enough force to make several dust clouds puff out from beneath the plastic and settle slowly to the porch floorboards at their feet.

"Hands off, John," he hissed, his grip growing so strong that his knuckles turned white.

"No need to be so territorial, Ric," John's voice was irritatingly calm, especially for someone who had nearly broken the house decoration with his head.

"Don't you dare ever touch her again," Alaric said slowly in a threatening voice punctuating his words, definitely making it sound like he was going to rip his head off or something, his face barely a couple of inches away from John's.

For a moment they just glared daggers at each other, before John broke the silence with, "Jenna, could you please keep him on a short leash?"

But even before the meaning of the words sunk in so that she could come with something in response, Alaric stepped back abruptly, releasing John so suddenly that the latter staggered a little, out of surprise more than anything.

"Whatever," he muttered through clenched teeth boiling on the inside, turned around and stomped away without giving any of them so much as a look.

John adjusted his jacket casually as if nothing had happened and the two of them had just had a civilized social conversation. Jenna regarded him furiously as her heart clenched at the sound of the tires screeching against the asphalt at Ric's hasty departure, and then headed insides. She intended to slam the door loud enough to make the windows shatter but John caught it in the middle as he strolled in after her.

"Are you happy now?" She asked with fake patience turning around.

"Your Romeo will get over it," he replied matter-of-factly, his face growing serious by the second. Obviously, it wasn't that ugly incident that bothered him.

"You—" she started.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He interrupted her. "Coming home in the morning… sorry, _afternoon_ this time, letting Jeremy and Elena run around with a bunch of blood suckers? Is that your idea of guardianship, Jenna?"

His tirade caught her off guard, and she blinked with confusion. "What brought this on? Excessive amount of caffeine?"

"Do you even know where they are now?" John went on, ignoring her.

"At school."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am!" Jenna snapped. "Are you done?"

"No." He stepped in her way when she turned towards the staircase. "My brother would want me to take care of them since you, apparently, fail. What would Miranda say if she knew what's going on here?"

It felt like a slap in the face, which hurt even more after all the events of the morning. Ha, like she didn't know it already! Miranda would have killed her, like, half a year ago! And didn't Jenna know that she was losing the battle? Well, the problem was – she wasn't Miranda, and trying to replace her was a foolish idea as is. But she was trying! She was trying so hard to make things right! And having her face rubbed into it wasn't exactly helping.

"What are you suggesting exactly, John? Tie them? Lock them in their rooms? Isolate them from the rest of the world? They are not five!"

"Whatever it takes to keep them safe and away from the vampires," he told her firmly.

"Okay then, and your idea of guardianship is what, drag them around wherever you are going?" She snorted not to let him see how hard his words hit her. "Or you'd rather lock them in some boarding school for troubled teenagers?"

"I'd do what's best for them."

"No, you'd do what's best for you," Jenna poked him in the chest. "Do you even _know_ them?"

On that she brushed past him and stormed upstairs before she actually did or said something she'd probably regret in the future.

Once in her room, Jenna slammed the door shut so hard that it echoed in every single corner of the house. She leaned her back against it and then slid down it to the floor when her knees betrayed her, gasping for air and trying to keep breathing past her rapid heartbeat and a lump in her throat. It was nothing, she told herself. John was a jerk and she knew better than listening to whatever he was saying.

But everything was piling up lately – her stalker, and Ric, and his psycho wife, and this whole vampire situation, and a million of other things she had to deal with – and it was getting just too much. She was tired of wearing a mask and pretending that she was okay when in reality she wasn't, not even close. She felt like she was going crazy. Exhausted physically and mentally, Jenna buried her face in her knees and set the storm free letting herself cry – out of pain, and loss, and anger, and despair. But most of all, out of fear that there was no way to fix all this mess. She was scared, and she was all alone, and she needed him so much.

**To be continued…

* * *

**

Thanks a lot for reading! I _love_ reviews so they are always appreciated :)

I know it wasn't the best of me but I needed some pre-action before next couple of chapters that you will probably like ;) Just saying!


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's note:** I didn't plan to finish this chapter so soon :) Oh well, I hope no one is going to complain! Now that we have the whole 1 DAY till new episode – new treat for you :) And again – I really appreciate you interest and support, guys. It means a lot! :*

* * *

**Chapter 12**

"Wow," Elena breathed out, unable come up with something more specific.

Jenna passed a stack of dinner plates to her and squatted near the over to check on her first ever French-chicken-something. "Tell me about it," she scoffed.

"That's," Elena started choosing the words carefully, still standing with the plates, her jaw all but dropping to the floor. "That's—"

"One-way ticket to a mad-house," Jenna prompted helpfully, one brow quirked.

"That's really dangerous," Elena managed at last regarding her aunt with reproach, obviously not finding the situation amusing.

"Well, I kind of figured it out," Jenna breathed out, her attention slipping down towards tight bandage wrapping her right wrist under the sleeve of her t-shirt. "It's not a good thing that I can easily imagine restraining jacket on me, is it?"

She straightened up, paused for a moment and then headed to the fridge deciding to go for a salad after all. Browsing mentally through the options, she reached for tomatoes, green pepper and lettuce, paused and added canned mozzarella. She pushed the fridge door close with her elbow and the unloaded the whole pile onto the kitchen island. Elena finished setting the plates on the table and turned around, leaned against the back of the chair and hooked her fingers into the front pockets of her jeans.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Why didn't you tell me about your vampire boyfriend?" Jenna asked back.

Okay, she had a point here, Elena grimaced inwardly. So, 1:1. "When I saw you at Ric's, I thought—" she trailed off and shrugged in a _You know what I mean_ way.

"Yeah, I got that," Jenna sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, small sad smile flickering across her face for the barest of moments.

Trying to look and sound nonchalant, Elena strolled to find linen napkins in the cupboard. Hesitated and then reached for the soft drinks glasses, too. "So, he knows?"

"I guess he got the general idea when I took the party to his place," Jenna let out a short laugh. "Can imagine how much I must have freaked him out. Or… maybe I can't."

"I don't think that's the point," Elena noted vaguely, and continued when she caught Jenna's puzzled look. "He seems to truly care about you, so I would say 'freak out' had deeper meaning in that case."

"Don't," Jenna stopped her and shook her head. She sprinkled the salad with olive oil and went to put it on the table, all the while trying to sort out her thoughts and feelings. Stopped to scan the table and then turned to find Elena watching her expectedly and with a slightly skeptical expression. "I am not blind, Elena," she said softly. "I know he cares. Hell, I can see the way he looks at me." Her voice dropped a little. "But I don't want to be his rebound girl. I want him to want me for me, not because he needs someone to help him get over his not so dead ex. It's… not enough."

"Aw, come on, Jenna! He wouldn't do that! Not with you," Elena objected instantly and then cut off when Jenna arched a brow at her.

That was a close hit, she thought sourly. Hadn't been she going through the very same thing herself? With her being the exact copy of Katherine – she was in a much worse situation, not knowing who Stefan, and Damon come to think, was after in the beginning. And even now. It was too confusing, too weird. At least Jenna wasn't looking at Isobel like in a mirror. It was a good start as is. No one was comparing her to anyone.

"Yeah," Jenna agreed half-heartedly, not convinced.

"You don't really think he is still into her, do you?"

"Well, it's not about what _I_ think. The problem is, I'm not sure he decided it for himself yet."

Reluctantly, Elena nodded. At this point it was easier to agree than to start an argument, or whatever. "What does he think about all of that?"

"That I'm screwed," she breathed out. "You know, I've been thinking about it, a lot. And I… there's nothing." She pinched the bridge of her nose and then sighed lowering his hand down. "I'm stuck. There's no explanation to it." Reached out and grabbed a leather-bound book that was lying on the other end of the table and what she was reading before Elena showed up about an hour ago, and gave it a thoughtful look. A journal. "It's the third one. But… it's just a journal," which sounded like _Yeah, it's a car but it's a toy car_. "It's full of feelings and fears and speculations. But it's not the insight on vampires and their behavior patterns."

"They weren't much into psychology back then?"

"Doesn't look like it."

Elena studied her face. "Are you okay?"

"I'm a freak with a secret life that I have no idea about," Jenna grinned putting the book down again. "If it can be qualified as okay, then believe me, I'm perfect." She looked up and at Elena's concerned face and lightened up a little. "Come on, don't look at me like that. It's creepy but I don't see any mortal danger yet." It was a fake bravery and a very big lie, but she couldn't have had it otherwise.

Damn it, she was an adult here and she was supposed to be able to handle everything! Only now it seemed like her teenaged niece and nephew were doing a much better job with it. How was she supposed to be a parent, if her own life – so simple and uneventful for the most part just recently – was such a mess? It was a miracle that Miranda didn't come to haunt her ass down the way she promised. Although, to be honest, Jenna was practically expecting it to happen any time soon.

"It's serious," Elena told her, as if it was news.

Jenna leaned against the counter and crossed her arms of her chest. What was she supposed to say? What she was a step away from locking herself somewhere? Well, she was! That she was terrified? Well, that was true as well because she had no idea who was doing it, or how, or what was going to happen next, or when – to begin with. A ten-minute notice every now and then would be nice. The thing was, it wasn't like admitting all of that and becoming an object of pity and sympathy was going to solve the problem.

"I know that it is," she paused to take a breath. "But I can't think about it like that. The moment I start taking all this crap seriously, I'm going to lose it. And chances are I'd end up hiding in the closet for the next couple of years." She lowered her voice and leaned closer to Elena as if sharing a secret, "It won't be pretty."

Elena couldn't help smiling at that.

"What are you going to do?"

Jenna shrugged. "I have no idea." _Join the traveling circus, or go to grow crops in South Africa, or move to Greenland, perhaps. Possibilities are endless at this point_. The oven timer went off and they both turned to the sound. "Where's Jeremy?"

Elena checked the clock. "Should be back any minute," she shrugged. "They are drawing banners today. Anna lured him in some after-school stuff for the parade, so… who would have thought Jeremy would be spending so much time at school?" They exchanged _Unbelievable, right?_ looks. "Where is Uncle John?"

Jenna's face darkened. "I don't know and whenever he is, he better stay there." Her mobile beeped announcing the arrival of a new message and she reached to retrieve it from the back pocket of her jeans. And then she felt the color leave her face when her eyes ran along one short line on the screen.

"So, what do you—" Elena stated turning to her and then faltered. "Jenna? What is it?" She came up closer and took the phone from her aunt's dead grip.

"_Everything comes to an end_."

* * *

The bell rang at three in the afternoon. Two seconds later all doors on both sides of the corridor burst open and the students started filing out into the hall, instantly filling the whole space with noise and chatter, relieved that they were finally free for a little while.

Jenna smirked to herself. Some things never change, she thought with amusement watching the colorful crowd with genuine curiosity as she waited for the classroom to the left from her to get empty, still torn between staying and leaving before anyone saw her. And the leaving part was winning so far. Well, kind of. Not enough to give her a kick in the ass to actually move.

Elena was one of the last to walk out and Jenna grabbed her by the arm before the ocean of bodies swallowed her and drew her closer to the wall where no one could knock them down on the way out. End of the day was a cruel time, she still remembered that. Standing between the teenagers and their so short-lived freedom was never safe.

"Hey!"

"Jenna?" Elena frowned. "What are you doing here?"

"I…" _was in the neighborhood and decided to stop by because the last twelve years without high school were a torture_, "came to have a parent-teacher talk." She tried to keep her voice and face dramatically grave.

"What?" Elena blinked, the struggle as she fought to come up with what could have gone wrong so obvious on her face that Jenna barely refrained from giggling.

"I need to talk to Ric," she explained.

"Oh." _Oh!_ Her expression changed to the one of complete understanding mixed with satisfaction within split of a second. "I see. Well, I won't be holding you back then," she craned her neck to peek inside the classroom. "The scene is clear. I expect to hear the details later," she added conspiratorially.

"Jenna? Hey, what's up?" Jeremy maneuvered his way to them through the quickly receding crowd. He stopped to wave at someone before squeezing further to approach them. Moving against the current, that's what it was. It took him a while.

"Jenna's busy," Elena grabbed him by the sleeve of his jacket before Jenna had time to so much as open her mouth and pulled him with her down the hall and towards the front doors.

"What?" He frowned in misunderstanding, his gaze darting between the two of them as he let his sister drag him away.

"And we've gotta go," she _reminded_ him excitedly.

"Where?" Their voices started to fade. "What's going on?"

"Just move, Jer."

Jenna watched them until they disappeared behind the doors – namely, until Elena shoved her brother out – and then shook her head with amusement. Looked around then. It had been about two minutes, barely, and the hall was practically empty. And so was probably most of the school.

Through the open door she could hear someone flipping quickly through the book or a notepad. Muffled voiced were coming from another class somewhere down the hall. She saw a couple of guys in identical dark-blue hoodies and with identical sports bags in their hands disappear behind the door to the gym. There were some people stuck in the library, she thought absently. And, well, whoever was involved in the extra-curriculum activities. _Stop dragging the time!_

She took a breath to steady herself and then stepped into the doorway. Rapped her knuckles on the doorjamb and leaned against it with her shoulder folding her arms on the chest.

Alaric was standing in the far corner of the class and putting the books on the shelf. He jerked his head up and turned around to the sound, his brows creased at the sight of her as a mixture of confusion and worry flickered across his face.

"Hey," she breathed out softly.

"Jenna? What are you—? Is everything okay?"

She couldn't help smiling at that. "No drama of the day if that's what you're asking about," she told him. Okay, so this was the part where her impulsive spur-of-a-moment decision and oh so well-rehearsed speech started to look like total crap. And wasn't it tempting to say something like '_I was just passing by. Nice to see you're doing good. Bye!'?_ But, she braced herself and asked, "Are you done here for today?"

Well, whatever he expected to hear from her was nowhere close to what she had just said, apparently. "Yeah." Alaric looked down at the stack of books in his hands and then put them away onto the windowsill. "Yeah, I guess I am." His eyes narrowed a little. "Why?"

"Would you like to have a walk?"

* * *

Elena knocked on the door, waited for about half a minute and then turned the knob and pushed the door open. Hesitantly, she stepped into the semi-dark hallway, listening, and then padded down the corridor to where the dance of light on the wall indicated the fire burning, her footsteps soundless on the carpeted floor.

She paused in the doorway when she spotted Damon sitting on the couch in the library, his back to her as he stared at the dance of flames, apparently. His hand moved, and even though she didn't see it, she knew he took a sip of whatever drink he had in his glass. He must have heard her, she thought. Couldn't have missed her entering for sure. Elena knew her heartbeat was loud enough for him to register, especially in such close proximity. Yet, he didn't acknowledge the fact of her presence making her wonder if she should just leave, being obviously an unwelcome company for some reason, or so it seemed to her.

Her curiosity peaked though. Damon wasn't a wallowing type and yet it was exactly what he was doing, and Elena couldn't help wondering what could have possibly caused it. Well, the possibilities were endless to be honest. Their lives weren't all unicorns and rainbows lately. And yet, it was Damon, of all people… um, vampires. But she didn't want to pry in case he needed some privacy, which was probably the case by the looks of it, and she respected it.

But when she finally made up her mind to just leave and stop by later, Damon said, "Stefan's not here. He'd hunting. Probably some poor Bambi. Bet he never saw the movie." His voice was dull, flat and distanced, and his gaze never left the fireplace. "You can wait for him here if you want, he won't be long." Which was almost an invitation, or the closest thing to it that she could get from him.

Leaving was still tempting. Dealing with cranky Damon wasn't her idea of fun. But something was eating him on the inside, and she didn't feel like leaving him all alone. Not when he didn't want her to go at least, and if he did, he wouldn't have said a word.

So, Elena let the strap of her bag slide down her shoulder and fall to the floor in the corridor before making her way into the library. It was warm, compared to the rest of the house, and she pulled off her jacket and tossed it onto one of the chairs on her way. Came up to the couch and flopped down beside him realizing all of a sudden that she, to be honest, could use some company, too.

He didn't turn and his gaze didn't shift as if he didn't notice her at all but one corner of his mouth tugged up slightly in a humorless sneer. Geez, he was such a bundle of joy today!

Elena's eyes flickered down to the tumbler he cradled in his palms and she arched her eyebrows. "And you're so extremely cheerful today why?"

Damon let out some muffled sound, a mixture of laughter and snort, and shook his head, still not looking at her. "You know this myth about the vampires not being able to reflect in the mirrors and stuff? The whole Dracula thing? All these… _legends_."

"So?"

"I wish this crap was true." He made another gulp making her wonder how he didn't choke, and fell silent.

Elena waited for a minute or two, and then asked when he didn't continue, and apparently wasn't going to, "Just because or for some particular reason?"

He didn't say anything right away. Instead, he dropped his gaze and studied his drink as if the answer she was waiting for was going to appear somewhere between the ice cubes.

"That school teacher of yours," he said after a little while, when Elena already lost her hope to hear another word from him some time this century.

"Don't get side-tracked. What's with the mirrors?"

"I'm getting to the point actually." He pointed out, slightly annoyed. "He's crazy about your aunt, you know? Not the puppy-dog thing. It's a real deal." A grimace crossed his features although she failed to understand the nature of it. "And yet he keeps grasping onto the past and his bitch of an ex vampire wife who doesn't give a crap about him. Maybe never did. Not enough to stick to her human self at least." He snorted. "And you know why?"

"Why?" She stared at the outline of his profile.

"Because he's an idiot, to begin with. But also because it's safe," Damon chuckled ruefully. "No risk at all. It is so much easier to sit and feel sorry for yourself and your miserable life than just get out and… _live_." His voice dropped almost to a whisper and he finished the phrase on an exasperated sigh. "I mocked him about it because it was pathetic. It was… _is_, like, a definition of pathetic. Mourning your life while you're still alive. I truly felt pity for him."

He gave Elena a quick sliding look before getting back to peering at the fire again.

"I still don't get your point, Damon," she sighed. She couldn't agree more about certain teacher and her aunt. The rest was still a mystery though. "Alaric, legends, what are you talking about?"

"The point, Elena, is that I woke up in the morning and saw _him_ in the mirror." Damon let out a bark of a laugh, bitter and painful. "Because it is exactly what I am doing, too." He finished his bourbon in one big gulp and then grabbed the tumbler with both his hand, his eyes somewhat glassy as if he was looking inside of himself but his voice steady and not affected by alcohol by the sound of it. "I wish I couldn't see the bloody reflection because… because it is so lame to love someone and keep holding onto the past out of some pitiful habit. Just because you know how to do, having all these years of practice and all."

He didn't look at her again and never said another word, just continued to stare at the dance of flames that reflected in his pale blue eyes making them look like they were glowing in the semi-darkness of the room.

Elena didn't dare to break the silence either, if only because it wasn't easy to wrap her mind around what he had just said. It wasn't hard to hear Isobel's voice somewhere in the back of her mind but she pushed it away. She was afraid of saying too much, or not enough. He was right after all, it was lame. But she didn't know where admitting it would put her, and wasn't sure either of them was ready to take a step in that direction.

* * *

Jenna threw a quick surreptitious glance at him out of the corner of her eye. And then another one. And one more, not so surreptitious this time. Alaric was looking straight ahead at the road outside the windshield, his right arm draped lazily over the steering wheel, fingers tapping on it in time with the music. But at the same time this seeming easiness was delusive. With his jaw set tight and his brows drawn together, he was a living breathing example of thoughtfulness and determination, which she found quite amusing for some reason.

He was too lost in thought to care at first, so she took her time to study him now that the monotonous blinking of the trees outside her window lost its original appeal. She wasn't breaking any rules, was she? It wasn't like she was stepping away from her 'give him time and space' plan, not really. One small friendly… favor, no privacy invasion. And wasn't it he who told her she could always come to him if something happened in the first place? Well, that was kind of the case, and he was the only one she felt comfortable turning to.

He noticed it eventually though, both the interest and fleeting smile, and caught her eyes the next time she turned, eyebrows cocked up. "What?" He asked not sure if it was a good sign or bad.

"Nothing," Jenna replied innocently, and maybe a little too quickly, and clenched her teeth before she ended up grinning or something.

"Seriously, Jenna, what?" He pressed on a couple of minutes later when she gave him yet another look, totally despite herself. His eyes narrowed as he watched her suspiciously.

"You look so serious, like we're on some suicide mission," she confided at last, finally breaking into a smile.

Alaric couldn't help but smirk back. "Well, you said something about having a walk. We're driving for twenty minutes already. So, I can't help having this… suspicion that I am missing something here."

Jenna hesitated for a moment. "Do you mind if I embarrass myself first and only then explain everything?" She asked somewhat apologetically.

He gave her a curious glance but then shook his head, chuckling and finally relaxing. Even the line of his shoulders sagged a little. "Okay."

"Here," she said when another road sign popped up before them.

Ric turned the car to the right, off the highway and onto the gravel road that snaked between the trees. It wasn't used often by the looks of it, and the branches of overgrown trees and bushes that no one bothered to cut or take care of scratched the doors as they crawled forward spooking away occasional birds. They followed it for another mile or two until the road turned into a barely visible path and then practically disappeared giving in to the nature. Alaric stopped the car and killed the engine – before this ride killed his vehicle, looked expectedly at Jenna and then climbed out when she did, too.

The sun was almost down and the temperature began to drop steadily, which for some reason was especially evident in the forest where the air always seemed to be a little cooler. He shivered a little and looked around. They were standing in the middle of nowhere, and all he could see were grayish forms of mostly naked trees around them and nothing else. Nothing of interest at least.

Jenna zipped up her jacket and came up closer to him. "Have you got a flashlight?" She asked.

Ric's curiosity peaked. Well, to be honest, it peaked forty minutes ago when she showed up at school proving the statement that there was no such thing as bad surprise but he forced back all the questions for a while and just nodded. "Sure" At least they finally got to the walk part, or so he assumed.

He circled the car and opened the trunk, found the flashlight, paused to throw a quick look at Jenna hovering somewhere at the hood and observing the forest, her hands tucked into the pockets of her jacket, and then reached for the tool-box stored in the back of the trunk where he kept a few stakes, just in case… Well, they were good for practically anything he had to deal with in Mystic Falls. At least ever since the Logan Fell incident.

For a moment his gaze lingered on his stake-shooting gun. It was safer and a lot more efficient in any case – not only against the vampires but probably against pretty much everything that could cause any trouble, but in the end Alaric simply slipped the stake into the sleeve of his jacket not sure how Jenna would like the idea of him carrying the gun since she didn't quite elaborate on the purpose or nature of this trip. He knew better than hope that it was some sort of romantic getaway but that was just as far as his guesses went. Speak of wishful thinking.

He slammed the trunk close then and demonstrated the flashlight to Jenna who turned around to the sound.

"Ready?" She asked.

"Lead the way."

Dry leaves and broken branches crackled beneath their feet on the frozen ground as they were making their way through the forest catching the howl of wind in the treetops and occasional chirps of restless birds. The sun wasn't completely down yet but the clouds kept swallowing it every now and then plunging everything into grayish dusk and deepening the shadows. He could hear the river somewhere behind the trees, and the fog was rising from the water and crawling along the ground clinging onto the grass and stones, smoothing the edges and adding some eeriness to the picture.

Alaric walked a few steps behind Jenna, listening carefully and scanning their surroundings, trying to figure out if this feeling of inexplicable uneasiness that made skin on the back of his neck crawl was caused by his sixth sense or simply by the fact that they were in the woods, and it was getting dark, and it probably wasn't safe.

"Okay, really, where are we going?" He asked in about ten minutes realizing suddenly that the night would fall in no time, and the temperature would drop even more, and he was still clueless. Not to mention the fact that the darkness was dangerous for at least a thousand of other reasons, beside freezing to death.

"Patience is a virtue, Ric," Jenna called back.

"Not mine apparently," he snorted, and his breath puffed out in small cloud. "Are you going to kill me and bury my body in the woods? Is that why you lured me here?"

Jenna laughed and looked at him over the shoulder. "And then I will steal your car, you life and eventually take over the world," she added, nodding in agreement.

"So, that's the plan, huh?"

"I would probably stop giving me the ideas if I were you," she pointed out and he heard smile in her voice.

"Just trying to figure out when should I start worrying," Alaric chuckled.

"We're almost there," Jenna told him, amused.

It was a good idea to come to him after all, she thought. It felt good to have him around, and not only because it was less creepy than if she had to do it alone. Truth was, it was good to have him around, period. He was making her feel safe the way no one else ever did. And hell if she didn't like it.

"And where exactly is the—re… wow!"

He stopped short when dark forms of a semi-ruined stone structure suddenly stepped out of the fog and shadows. It was unbelievable that he hadn't noticed it before. Towering among the trees, they were silently watching their approach and waiting.

Jenna stopped too and looked around. They were standing in the middle of the clearing surrounded by crooked misshaped remains of once magnificent construction, and the silence was pressing now. And then all of a sudden the cloud was gone and the low sun showered everything with soft dying light that filtered through naked branches, and twigs, and cracks and holes in what had once been walls, casting an intricate ornament of shadows on the ground and chasing away the fog, making the picture completely different, bringing warmer shades to it.

"What is this place?" Ric asked gawking around almost in awe.

"Fell's Church," Jenna responded turning to him. "Or at least what's left of it." She swept the stone forms with another glance. "I think you've heard of it." Which was rather a statement than a question.

"I have," he agreed. "But I've never been here before."

So, that's it then, he thought. The place where everything started 145 years ago. One of the many things that didn't work the way they were supposed to. The vampires didn't die inside, and it was that trigger that set off chain reaction the consequences of which they had to deal with now. The church looked rather impressing even now, he noted, but it had some sad aura to it, too. Not only because it was destroyed so viciously and then forgotten for good, but because he could almost feel it was blaming people for their mistake. Dying for a good cause was one thing. It was almost honorable even. If only everything happened the way it was meant to…

Alaric studied it thoroughly, not that there was much left to look at though. Now it was practically impossible to imagine what exactly it looked like at the time of its full glory. And then it was burned down for nothing, and he could almost feel sorrow coming from everything around him.

"I thought it was closer to the town," he said absently.

"It is, actually," Jenna approached him, her eyes drifting across stone forms. "There is a road coming from the south but it is much worse than the highway. You can also walk right through the forest that starts behind the Historical Society Park but it takes a while ," she explained. "The town had moved a little geographically over the time and some older constructions ended up being lost in the woods. Be careful and watch your step."

He appreciated the advice. The stone bricks were scattered all around and he stumbled a time or two not noticing them in time as he followed Jenna around the church and a little further into the forest. Weird dark shapes hiding behind the trees left him puzzled until he realized that they were crooked and broken headstones covered with dry ivy and destroyed by time and weather. Church, cemetery – right, the whole package!

Meanwhile, Jenna stopped before two other pieces of wall that formed a corner and scanned the ground at her feet.

"Priest's house," she said before Ric asked anything when he caught up with her.

"I would have never guessed," he commented studying almost nothing of what had been left of it.

The place must have been two hundred years old at least, he whistled mentally. And then followed Jenna's gaze when she made a few more steps kicking away grass and leaves, and ended up staring down at something at her feet as she chewed her lower lip thoughtfully. He came closer and felt his brows arch when he saw a roundish, slightly misshaped hole in the ground, black and, well, unwelcoming. Like a well, only destroyed. He could feel the cold coming out of it.

"And this is rabbit's hole that leads to Wonderland?" Alaric guessed squatting down before it and tuning on the flashlight.

Its beam hit the earth floor. It wasn't as deep as he first thought, maybe a meter and a half of so. And it wasn't just a hole, too. Or a well, come to think of it. It looked solid, not like something created by nature, if stone walls that he managed to see were any indication. Maybe a cellar? If it was a part of the house then it would make sense. Pieces of rotten black wood lying on the floor and sticking from the wall to the left from him indicated that there used to be some sort of ladder leading down until wind and rain worked on it.

A short laugh escaped Jenna. "It's a secret passage between the house and the church," she told him when he got up again. "The other end, on the church side, got blocked when some part of the floor collapsed after the storm a couple of decades ago."

His brows quirked up and he looked down again with new sort of interest. "And that's the final destination?"

The sun had sunk below the horizon line by then and Jenna rubbed her upper arms with her hands, shivering a little. She looked down and into the blackness too before locking her gaze on Ric's again. He didn't ask a thing, which she appreciated because it gave her time to try and collect her thoughts together but she knew she owed him some explanation before asking him to jump down and find Crazy Hatman for her.

"I have these memories coming back to me," she started choosing the words carefully. "Of the things that never happened." She shook her head and rubbed her forehead, feeling a little embarrassed by how silly it sounded – so much worse than in her head. "I know it's crazy." _To say the least_. "And I don't know how to explain it but I hadn't been thinking about this place for ages and now I keep remembering some things about it, as if they happened just a while ago. Things that—well, that didn't happen. Not… for real."

Alaric furrowed his brows as he studied her face, doubtful and confused. It wasn't what he expected to hear exactly, but then he found himself realizing that he wasn't surprised by it. Worried was a much better word, and this worry kept growing with every moment until it finally struck him that foreboding of something like that was exactly what troubled him for the last hour or so. And instantly it stopped looking like an adventure, this church and all stories behind it, and his curiosity was replaced by almost sickening wish to get the hell out of there.

Yet, it didn't look like it was an option. Something about this place bothered Jenna so much that he could all but feel anxiety coming from her, which, apparently, was contagious. And if going down there was all it took to make it go, well…

"Let's check it then," he said with more enthusiasm than he was feeling.

"And either prove that I'm a nutcase or… that I'm a nutcase," she finished somewhat darkly.

"That's a hell of a choice," he winked at her, glad on the inside that he thought about brining the stake. Not that it could be of any help against a whole nest of the vampires – oh boy, he should really stop thinking about something like that! – but it was better than nothing at any rate. The idea of tagging Jenna along was slightly disturbing though. Who knew what the hell was hiding down there? Leaving her here on her own was not much better but— "Look, you can wait here," he offered – had to offer.

Jenna quirked a brow at him. "You're kidding, right?"

_Well, he knew she'd say that, didn't he? _

"Okay then, hold this for me."

He gave her the flashlight, and then crouched beside the hole and jumped. It was rather wide and turned out to be a little deeper than he expected, what with him being about to straighten up without hitting his head on her ceiling. Barely, but still! His feet sponged on the pile of leaves that wind threw down there softening his landing. He stood up and looked around, and even though it was impossible to see anything outside the pool of pale light coming from the flashlight that Jenna directed down, it still was a relief to find out that it probably wouldn't be a big deal to get out with the help of the remains of the ladder, however unreliable they were. He looked up then, still half-hoping she'd change her mind.

Instead, Jenna sat on the edge and let her legs dangle down. Took a breath as if she was going to dive into the water and then slipped off and into his arms, flashlight in hand, its light dancing on the walls with the motion. Ric caught her effortlessly by the waist as she brushed against his body a second before her feet touched the ground. Instinctively, Jenna wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself to his body out of fear to lose her balance and fall, big distance that it was, flooded by the smell of his after-shave lotion and what she guessed was winter-fresh fabric-softener from his shirt. Against better judgment they stayed still for a long moment just staring at each other.

"You okay?" Ric asked at last, his voice dropping to a whisper.

"Yeah," she let out the breath she didn't even notice she was holding. Um, what was the question?

"Good." He let her slip out of his arms and onto the floor, taking a small step back. "Let's go. And… stay close, okay?"

_Gladly!_ "Sure."

The passage started going down and deeper underground almost immediately, and within minutes they were cut off the sounds of life that they could hear while staying on the surface. The light of the flashlight in Alaric's hand was sliding along the earth floor and walls, supported by wooden arches, black from time, and heavy stone bricks, similar to those that the church was built from.

The air was damp and cold in that special way only air underground or in the caves could be. It wore rich smell of wet soil and stone mixed with whatever scent roots and other underground parts of the plants had. Jenna reached out and touched the wall feeling moisture beneath her fingers. The cold coming from it flashed a faint shade of memory through her mind but it was so vague and blurred that it slipped away just as soon as it came before she even contemplated trying to figure it out.

"How do you know all of that?" Ric wondered, amazed by the extent of the conspiracy – secret Council, secret passages, secret life of some inhabitants of Mystic Falls – as he was taking in their every single detail. "About this passage? All of that?"

The deeper they were going, the thicker and staler the air was getting. There were no more leaves beneath their feet anymore, most of them not making their way this far down, what with the lack of wind down there. Could have thought about some ventilation system, he thought absently. But then again this place was hardly meant for hiding, more for a safe escape.

"I grew up here," Jenna reminded him, letting out a soft laugh. "Plus, this was a hang-out place for cool kids when I was in high school," she added. "Not _right_ here of course, but around the church. Mostly because of the ghost stories, you know. About the confederate soldiers wandering in the forest because their souls can't find peace." Her voice was theatrically dramatic until Ric turned and she smiled at his _Huh?_ expression. "Also, because it was far. You always want to get away as a teen. I've never seen any ghosts here, but others did. Although, to be fair, I must say that it probably had something to do with the buzz than with restless souls."

"That's what I thought," he smirked.

"Anyway, it was fun until the church wall collapsed nearly killing one of the guys, and the Sheriff – it was Liz Forbes's dad back then – ordered to patrol this place from time to time to make sure we stayed away before someone else ended up in the hospital with broken bones, and it soon lost its appeal. Too much trouble being caught here." She let out a small breath. "I take it, the following generations didn't pick up the idea. This place looks like no one's been here for quite a while."

Except for some vampires and a couple of witches that set some other vampires free, Alaric mused but didn't let it slip out.

"I'm sure they found some other not less exciting way to entertain themselves," he chuckled. "Are we looking for something specific?" He stopped to give Jenna a chance to catch up with him.

She observed the walls skeptically. "Hardly." Okay, she had to check it. Or she would never get this thing out of her head but maybe dragging Ric with her wasn't such a good idea after all. Now that she was finally here, all she could imagine finding were cob-webs and dirt.

A muffled sound somewhere in the distance made them both skid to a halt in a split of a moment. Alaric's reaction was instant and fast. Swift and silent, he caught Jenna by the arm and yanked her to the wall shielding her with his body from whatever was lurking in the darkness, and they both held their breaths as they listened and waited, tense and alert.

It took Jenna a while to notice that she had her fingers clenched around his jacket, and she uncurled them carefully to let go off it before he noticed anything and lowered her hands to hang by her sides instead. Cautiously and with her heart stuck somewhere in her throat and practically choking her, she looked up to find Ric staring intensely down the passage, his brows furrowed and his eyes darting from side to side following the beam of the flashlight that unfortunately wasn't strong enough to cover as much of the tunnel as he obviously wanted. Saying that she could all but hear him thinking feverishly wasn't even an exaggeration. She followed his gaze then, but didn't see anything except bits and pieces of walls and floor.

For several painfully long moments that stretched into eternity they just stood there waiting, but the silence was so thick and deafening that after a while the very existence of any sounds at all became questionable.

Jenna blinked when straining her eyes to see something outside the range of light started to hurt. Alaric's chest was rising and falling against hers as he kept taking one deliberately slow breath after another, and instinctively she fought to catch the rhyme of it to make their proximity less obvious. The contrast between the warmth of his body and the stone wall she was practically pressed into was striking, and she shivered and tried to think about something else. Like, mortal danger of some sort, or spiders, or something else distracting.

"What is it?" She asked in a barely audible whisper.

"I don't know," he echoed in a similarly quiet voice.

"Must be rats," she supposed after a short pause, not sure if she liked rats any more than the vampires. Hardly.

"Perhaps," he agreed with a slight hint of doubt.

Jenna was still peering down the corridor when she felt the slightest movement of the air and knew that he had turned to look down at her. Her body stiffened when she felt his warm breath falling on her face, making the skin of her cheek tingle. Slowly, she turned too, and then felt her own breath hitch in her throat when she found his face barely a couple of inches away from hers, his eyes catching and reflecting glints of the light as they wandered around her features.

His heart was pounding against his rib-cage and Alaric swallowed hard fighting to stay focused on the task at hand, namely – on anything that wasn't her lips. Standing so close, he could feel gentle scent of her hair which wasn't helping the matters, and mixed with adrenaline coursing through his system, it was a truly insane combination.

"We should probably go," he said in an oddly hoarse voice that sent another wave of shiver down Jenna's body and this time it had nothing to do with the cold air.

"We should," she agreed automatically but neither of them moved for a while. "Ric?"

"Right. Go." He snapped out of it and stepped back clearing his throat and looking away. "Must be rats. How far does it go from here?"

She looked back to where they came from trying to recall how far in they'd made it already. "A hundred feet more, maybe," she said uncertainly. The underground chill was easily making its way right through her clothes making her teeth chatter unevenly and she wrapped her arms around her shoulders in vain attempt to get a little warmer.

There was nothing here, and she was not only cold, she was now feeling ridiculous, too – like, for dragging him all the way to the Fell's Church and down to this godforsaken place. She was having dreams about it. Weird dreams, scary dreams. Not the nightmares kind of scary, and that was the problem. No, they were creepy in how real they felt, so real that she started losing her grip on reality upon waking up because it was hard to see the different, as if they were sucking her in and it was getting harder to get out each time. But they still were just dreams and some rational part of her knew that, although it was a much smaller part than the one that was making her question the reality she used to live in and pushing her to do some insane things – like coming here, for example.

Yet, she followed Alaric when he started to walk again. It wasn't making much sense to stay here any longer. They wouldn't find anything here, Jenna was quite sure of that, except for rats maybe. She shuddered. And that feeling of hers – must have been overall exhaustion, lack of sleep and all that coffee running in her system instead of blood. But she just couldn't bring herself to open her mouth and tell him how pointless it was to keep moving forward. They might have as well checked the whole passage now that they were here anyway, she decided in the end. And maybe – maybe! – she'd be able to get at least this one thing out of her mind.

Lost in thought, Jenna stumbled and all but bumped into Alaric when he stopped all of a sudden. He didn't see to notice the impact though. Instead, he just kept peering down the tunnel, his brows drawn together and his whole frame rigid. She didn't like it.

"Ric?"

"Stay here," he told her absently before starting to walk again.

"What—?"

"Just stay here," he repeated and something about his voice left her glued to the spot with a cold sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that made Jenna wish to turn around and run away from there, as fast and far as she possibly could, just to get out and away from that dread that settled inside on her.

The tunnel was making a small curve there, probably because of some rock that they couldn't dig through and had to circle around, and before Jenna knew she was standing in near darkness, the dancing light of the flashlight flickering on the walls somewhere down the passage was barely reaching her. She wanted to go there, to follow him and find out what it was about. But instead she just looked around, not that it was making much sense, and then tried to keep her eyes focused on the dance of shadows ahead of her. She didn't like it. Whatever he'd seen there – she didn't like it at all.

A few meters away from her, Alaric crouched by what he'd first thought was a misshaped pile of earth. He remembered Jenna mentioning something about the other end of the passage being blocked so he expected to come across some evidence of it sooner or later and wasn't surprised in the beginning. Not really.

But the feeling of wrongness stopped him from letting her go any farther. And now he was thanking whatever there was to thank because it wasn't just earth after all. What he saw lying on the ground was something covered with dark cloth, like a bed comforter or thin blanket. With hammering heart and suspecting that it was probably the last thing he wanted to do, he found the end of it and pulled it away, knowing better than to breath when he did it.

She was lying with her face away from him, long brown hair scattered on the ground and her skin ghostly pale. Mustn't have stayed here long, Ric noted somewhere in the back of his mind as a wave of nausea washed over him, twisting his insides into a tight knot. Plus, it was cold here. Cold enough to save her from fast decomposing, but ever though he held his breath, he could still feel sweetish sickening stench coming up his nose as he couldn't close his hand around it, what with them both being busy.

Careful not to touch anything not to destroy whatever evidence there could be left, he scanned the slim form of a girl searching for the cause of death – just in case the ugly bloodstained bite-mark that he spotted on her neck right away wasn't it. And then lowered the cover back knowing that he'd either die from the smell of dead flesh if he dared to take a breath, or he'd suffocate from not breathing – very, very soon.

His head was spinning from what he'd just seen and lack of oxygen when he pushed back to his feet. There was no sense in staying there, they were a few days late in any case. Taking small shallow breathes, if only not to pass out or something, he directed the beam on his flashlight further down the tunnel but with the body lying right across his way, he didn't find enough strength to make himself step over it and continue exploring. Well, come to think of it, he wasn't up to it either.

Jenna. She was still down here, too. Alone.

The realization brought all his senses back, made him start thinking again and forced Alaric to finally leave the spot and make his way back to her in long brisk strides, and he only let himself breathe out with relief when he saw her standing at the wall to the right from him, pale as hell in the light of the flashlight.

"Let's go," he said throwing a quick look over his shoulder and shuddering on the inside. "Let's get out of here."

"What happened?" Jenna asked automatically. He didn't seem to hear her though, his mind unable to stay focused on one thought for longer than a couple of seconds.

Got to call the Sheriff. No, got out of there first. Had to find out who that woman was. How did Jenna know? It was so cold but now his cheeks were burning. Must be shock of some sort. How did she get there? God, what if whoever did that was still somewhere here? They never made till the end of the passage, it was a perfect hiding place.

Cold hand of fear squeezed Alaric making him think he could hear someone's heavy breath and rapid footsteps behind their backs and see blinking shadows out of the corner of his eye, and didn't get go until they finally reached the entrance, or whatever it was, and he helped Jenna climb out of the tunnel and then followed her up and onto the surface scraping his hands on the rough wood and rock.

"Ric—"

"Come on."

Jenna didn't say a word as they walked – well, practically ran back to the car, party because she wasn't sure she'd get any answer, and partly because she didn't want to hear it. Not when he was looking like that – like he had just seen a ghost. She couldn't help letting out a sigh of relief when she spotted his grey car parked between the trees. She climbed inside faster than she thought she could and was only bucking up hastily when Alaric already started the engine and was revving backwards to find a good spot to make a u-turn. In almost complete darkness all they had were front and rear headlights to navigate their motion and that wasn't much.

He managed to turn around at last, without ending up somewhere in the ditch or embracing nearest tree with the hood, and then hit the gas pushing the car forward as fast as it could go, given the crappy quality of the road and limited range of visibility. Jenna kept casting quick glances at the side mirror on her door as if seriously suspecting to see someone following them. The feeling that they were being watched was back again and she couldn't shake it off as if it was something physical that stuck to her skin. She looked at Ric then, noting tight set of his jaw and white-knuckled grip of his fingers on the steering wheel, and found herself unable to start asking anything.

It was only when they finally got back to the highway that he reached into the pocket of his jacket and retrieved his cell phone, his eyes darting between the road and small screen as he scrolled his phonebook searching for the number before hitting the dial button.

"Come on, pick up. Pick up," he muttered listening to the rings on the other end of the line as they practically flew down the road. Jenna preferred not to go into how many traffic rules they were breaking. Not that she was giving damn about any of that right now. Gladly, the highway was empty. "Damon! Thank god," he breathed out barely audibly. "Yes, I missed you, now focus. We found the lair." Ric shot a quick look at Jenna who watched him without blinking before his eyes were back on the road again. "Or at least one of them." He paused to listen to Damon's response. "It's some sort of passage underneath Fell's Church. I believe you know where it is." He explained quickly how to find the entrance. "Call Sheriff… I don't care what you're going to tell her! Think something out, for heaven's sake!... Yeah, okay, whatever. Just make sure she sends someone to check it out. There's a body down there… And, um, they should probably come armed. I have no idea what else they are going to find there… Yeah, I'll explain everything later. But we can't leave it like that— Okay, _you_ can. I can't… Yeah, thanks. Call me when you have any news."

He hung up then, not looking particularly relived after the conversation, what with his brows still creased. But he did let out a sigh and the line of his shoulders relaxed a little. Just enough for him to stop looking like a maniac.

"Who was it, Ric?" Jenna asked in a couple of minutes. "Who did you find?"

Their eyes met again for a moment. "I don't know," he said shaking his head. "A girl… um, woman. With dark hair. I tried not to touch anything. It was a crime scene after all."

Slowly, she nodded. "I've been there, you know. That night."

"What?" He whipped his head to her, frowning.

"I'm sure I've been there," she repeated and added before any questions followed, "I don't remember it. I just… _know_. In that creepy way when you know stuff." She let out an exasperated sigh fully aware of the fact that she probably looked and sounded miserable and helpless – maybe because that was exactly how she felt – and then dropped her gaze down for a moment before locking it on his again.

"You sure?" He asked, and Jenna failed to understand if he was surprised or not. Not really by the looks of it. Scared, she'd say. Worried. But not quite shocked or anything. To be honest, she wasn't either.

"No," she pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head as she tried to keep her thoughts in some sort of order. "But I know I've been there recently, and it sure wasn't my own decision."

"Damn it!" Alaric muttered and then smacked the steering wheel with his palm.

It could have been her lying down there, he thought. If it wasn't for vervain and whatever else stopped them, it could have been Jenna. Hell, they could have killed her just for fun! For the sake of it and vervain would stop her from dying! It made his blood run cold and he swallowed uneasily at the mental images his way too vivid imagination offered helpfully. What the hell was going on here? Why her? Why would they do that to her?

He turned and saw Jenna looking at him with the expression he couldn't read. Well, fear was the closest definition he could think of. Confusion, too. The urge to reach out and take her hand if only to try and comfort her somehow was overwhelming, but instead he only tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

"It's going to be okay," Ric said not sure if he was telling it to her or to himself. Not that she believed anyway.

* * *

She was getting really annoyed, and compared to her human experience of being annoyed… well, it wasn't pretty. Why wasn't it working? Why on earth wasn't it working the way she expected? It was a good plan, almost perfect plan, so simple and straight-forward. And it was getting on her nerves. It was seriously messing everything up and she couldn't stand it. She couldn't let it go wrong, could she?

Damn it, this new personality was a lot to deal with! All these feelings and emotions, so strong and overwhelming – she needed to try and focus somehow. But this rush of thoughts in her head – it was driving her crazy. Never-ending buzz. And hunger. And power coursing through her veins like liquid fire, all mixed together, and it was confusing. It was hard to concentrate, so much effort. She didn't want to try. She was tired of having to stay under control. She wanted to just… be.

Yet, she had to make it work. She had to make that bitch pay. And it wasn't like her idea was total crap after all. It was just taking more time than she'd thought in the beginning. Just a detour. She was not going to retreat, no. She was going to try again. And again. And again, if necessary. Maybe that was the point – waiting would make her victory even sweeter, even more satisfying. More… worthwhile! Yeah, that was probably it. She could wait. Of course she could! What a couple of days mattered when she had so many years ahead?

Comforted by this decision, she felt her lips stretch into a contemplative smile. It wasn't the end, no way. She was not going to give up. No, she was going to come up with something else but meanwhile she was going to stick to the original course and keep messing with her little blonde head. And then… then someone was going to die.

But before – she was going to find something to eat.

* * *

"Has there been anything else?" Alaric asked as he held the door open for her to let Jenna into his apartment.

Habitually, she flipped on the light in the hall and strolled to the living room distractedly. "Calls, texts, all from hidden number. I couldn't recognize the voice. It was too quiet and muffled, like the person was speaking through something. A napkin maybe. I don't know. And it wasn't like anyone was threatening me, you know?" She turned around to find him watching her thoughtfully, and tucked her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. _Stay cool_. Sighed and then handed him her phone so that he could check a few messages she received lately. "See? They are just…"

"Creepy?" He offered quirking up his brow.

"Yeah, I guess," she breathed out. "And when they call… well, mostly I can hear the breath. Like phone pranks." Jenna fought to remember the details. "I didn't even pay attention to them at first. Thought someone was just having fun, or dialed the wrong number but… these messages, and all that…" She trailed off and bit her lower lip. "And then again, no threats."

Alaric nodded. Handed her back her phone and wandered into the kitchen. "Would you like to have something to drink?" He asked her giving a quick look over his shoulder. He could use some whiskey – like, a lot! If only to try and erase the terrible picture that was standing before his mind's eye. Not to mention the aftertaste of the stale underground air in his mouth.

"That… that sounds good." _Something strong please, more gin, less tonic_. Jenna watched him going through the routine – find glasses, get ice from the freezer. She propped her forearms on the smooth counter leaning on it. "That woman down there, she was killed, right?" She asked warily.

Alaric tensed for a moment despite himself when this too clear for comfort image flashed before his mind's eyes again. "Yes."

"What if I did it?"

He froze and then turned around feeling his eyes growing wide with surprise. "Come again?"

"Well, I don't remember anything that happens when I… black out. What if I—" _kidnapped someone and went all Jack the Ripper and stuff?_

"Hardly," he interrupted her chuckling. "Unless you're a vampire."

"How the hell do I know that I am not?" Jenna grumbled darkly.

They looked normal, she thought. Stefan and Damon – they looked pretty damn normal! And Logan, too. And Isobel, come to think of it. She cringed inwardly. They must be feeling normal as well. Well, she couldn't know that. So how—

Ric's laughter, genuine and loud, made her snap her head up and find him watching her puzzlement with sincere amusement, his eyes glinting. He left the glasses on the cooking counter and was now leaning against it, his arms folded across his chest. God, she liked his smile, the open one, with dimples.

"What did you have for dinner last night?" He asked.

Jenna blinked. "What?"

"Dinner. Last night."

She furrowed her brows, trying to recall it. Last night seemed to be so far away in the past. "Meat pie and salad," she replied cautiously, expecting the question to be some kind of a trick.

"Well, if it wasn't a bag of O-negative, then I guess you're off the hook," she chuckled again. "Plus, you'd probably notice if you died some time recently. Or maybe not. But the change of diet is usually a significant sign."

His answer made Jenna break into a smile, lifting some weight off of her shoulders, making her feel a little better by the second. And silly, too. But silly was good. It was a crazy theory and she knew it from the start but since crazy was normal and normal wasn't always good… well, at least she could cross one thing out of her list of thing that she feared.

"Yeah, I probably would have," she agreed. "Um, listen… Thanks. I really appreciate you coming along today." _I know I'm fun to hang out with – all these dead people around_.

"Sure, anytime." Alaric paused as if bracing himself for something. "Look, Jenna—" he started. The shrill of his mobile startled them both and they exchanged worried looks, smiles fading momentarily. "Excuse me," he muttered, reaching for it. "Yes?"

Jenna wandered back to the living room, her mind still buzzing. She probably should have asked for coffee instead, she thought. Her eyes went down to her still bandaged wrist. It was okay, almost healed by now but Ric was right – it looked too strange to keep it open until the mark was gone completely. She didn't want anyone asking any questions the answers to which she didn't have and didn't want to know.

She peeked out the window and then ended up sitting on the floor by the coffee table, her legs crossed. It was frightening – the way thing were happening to her, that constant feeling at the back of her head like someone was watching her all the time, which was only getting worse when she was alone and couldn't blame it on occasional crowd. She could bet she was feeling it even in her sleep – assuming she had any.

Alaric was pacing back and forth in his small kitchen, three of four steps in each direction at most. He was frowning and looking, well, displeased, Jenna guessed. The hand that was resting on his hip when she lifted her gaze to find him went up to rub his forehead and then rumple his hair, absently or in frustration she couldn't tell. He was nodding out of habit from time to time even though whoever was on the other end couldn't see him. Obviously, he didn't like the news or so she guessed if the expression of his face was any indication.

He finished the conversation in a couple of minutes and then joined her in the living room brining in their drinks.

"Thanks," Jenna breathed out taking a sip of her white wine and watching him over the rim of her glass.

He took a sit on the floor beside her and leaned his back against the couch, bent his legs pulling them closer to his chest and then gave a long studying look the amber liquid in his tumbler. Whiskey or scotch, she wasn't sure. Took a gulp and winced when alcohol burned its way through his mouth and down his throat.

"That's good stuff," Jenna noticed darting her eyes down to her glass when he looked at her with a shade of confusion.

"It was Hollie," Ric said in a low dull voice. "The girl that I found, it was her." He screwed his eyes tight and rubbed the eyelids tiredly. "They found two more bodies deeper in the tunnel. Not locals. Maybe campers or tourists. They are working on identifying them now. It won't take long if they were reported missing." Paused. "All drained of blood. No other injures aside from some scratches but then again they weren't kept in some fancy hotel, so…" The smirk that touched his lips was more angry than sad or amused or whatever. "Nothing else yet," he added. "They'll explore the place more thoroughly once they have the bodies out of their way but for now they didn't find anything that could have helped to track down whoever did it."

Another gulp followed, and this time he didn't flinch as if it was just soda that he was drinking as he stared sightlessly before himself.

"What did Damon say? About how he found that place?"

"He said he eavesdropped on some conversation at the Grill. High school kids thought that there was funny smell coming from that tunnel but didn't tell anything to anyone because they didn't want to get in trouble assuming they were not allowed to go there." He scrubbed his hand over his face. "Sounds like crap but Sheriff Forbes doesn't have any reasons not to believe him." She nodded automatically. "Hey, you okay?" Ric asked with concern.

"As opposed to what?" Jenna sneered and sipped some more of her wine finding familiar comfort in the warmth that settled in her stomach. Oh God, she was so screwed!

His lips twitched, which she took for conceding her point. "It'll take them a while to sort out all the stuff. Damon is going to hang around, pick up some news."

"Until they notice he's not a cop and kick him out?" She arched her brows.

Alaric smirked. "Yeah, probably." He paused. "Jenna, I'm—look, it's probably not the best time but I just want you to know that… I'm sorry for all the mess between us. I—"

"Don't," she stopped him and shook her head. "I get it, Ric. Really, I do. This whole thing with your wife… must have been really overwhelming. Would've been for anyone." Which was just as much as she could give him beside time and understanding. She couldn't comfort him or fix it for him or help him in any other way. He was confused, it was normal. But he had to deal with it on his own, otherwise he'd never move on. "It'll get better eventually."

"Yeah, I hope," he breathed out.

"It will," she pressed on, her smile softened minutely. "I know it will." Reluctantly, he nodded in agreement although she wasn't sure he meant it, but it wasn't like she could expect anything else. Jenna put her half-full glass onto the coffee table. "I think I should probably go home," she said. "My car is still at the school parking lot. Could you—?"

"Sure," he put his unfinished drink down as well. "I'll take you there."

Her words were still ringing in his head when he followed her into the hall. And when Jenna pulled the door open, he put his hand on it to close it again. Surprised, she turned around, her back leaning against cold wooden surface. Once again he was watching her with that wondrous expression she'd already seen before, as if he was looking at her and actually _seeing_ her for the first time, and was now trying to figure out where the hell had he been all this time. The one she couldn't quite read.

"What?" Jenna asked letting her lips form into a small smile, her brows drawn together in misunderstanding, as her heart gave a small leap and ended up thudding dully against her ribs.

She was very well aware of his hand still lying on the door somewhere near her head as she watched the corners of his mouth tug up a little as if some secret revelation downed on him at last making everything simple and clear. His gaze wandered around her face before catching her eyes and holding her gaze. Vaguely, she felt him run the back of his fingers down her cheek leaving a practically burning mark on her skin, which happened merely a moment before his hand slipped around her neck and he dipped down and captured her lips in a soft kiss.

**To be continued…

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**

Okay guys, I'm taking a break to deal with some real life stuff now, sorry :P No idea when I am going to update next :S

Meanwhile… the next chapter is going to start right where this one ends. So, what do you think is going to happen next? Tell me! I have 4 drafts of Chapter 13, all going in different directions, so suggestions, opinions and speculations are welcome!

And remember – reviews and comments are always highly appreciated! [I apologize for any grammatical errors or typos, in case you find some]


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's note**: Oh boy, it didn't take me as long as I thought it would but still… Yeah, I'm still emotional over the new episode so – I hope you'll like the chapter. It's probably going to be both sad and reassuring to read it in the light of the TV show events. Maybe

And of course, thanks a lot for support, and reviews, and everything. You guys are great! BTW, if and when I add lyrics to the fics, it means that certain scenes were inspired by the songs I mentioned, just so you know!

And one more warning – if you're under 18, you're reading it at your own risk! ;) But you kinda asked for it!

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**Chapter 13**

_~ Come feed the rain_

_'Cause I'm thirsty for your love _

_Dancing underneath the skies of lust_

_Poets of the Fall "Carnival Of Rust" ~_

It was that very step that threw him over the edge and off the cliff. There was no way back, and all Alaric could hope for was to be caught by the waves instead of crashing on the rocks. But he couldn't keep letting it happen, he couldn't watch her go away over and over again. He couldn't keep screwing up the best thing he had in life by being such a thick-headed moron. He just couldn't.

It took her by surprise – for, like, two seconds, but before Jenna knew, she was kissing him back, her heartbeat going crazy and her stomach fluttering. He tasted like brandy and need, which reflected so well her own _Thank God_. She felt his hands run through her hair framing her face, and then down her arms and around her body, being probably the only thing that kept her from melting or something, as he pressed her to his chest while she wrapped her arms around his waist underneath his jacket and closed her fists around his cotton shirt. It was like a relief, like _Finally_. Like _I am going to seriously hurt you if you stop any time soon_.

"Jenna—"

"I hoped you'd do that," she muttered against his mouth, and smiled because he was smiling, too. It'd been a while and she missed him terribly, missed him so bad that it hurt almost physically. And she was so damn tired of it. She needed it, she needed him.

"Yeah?" Alaric breathed out.

"Yeah."

Jenna completely missed the moment when her jacket somehow ended up lying on the floor – was probably too busy trying to get rid of his. And then she gasped softly when his hand slipped underneath the hem of her shirt and all but scalded her skin, making her blood run boiling hot in her veins. Making her feel like every nerve ending in her body sparkled to life, which practically turned her into an overwrought live wire within split second. It had definitely been too long.

She let him pull her shirt over her head and let it fall to the floor at their feet, too. Lifted her face up to look at him and saw Ric's eyes glinting in the pale light coming from the living room, his pupils so big that his eyes seemed to be almost black, and they were pulling her in, deeper, and deeper, and deeper, until there was nothing else left.

He pushed her hair out of her face and slanted in to catch her lips with his again, and deepened the kiss while Jenna fiddled with the buttons of his shirt with her slightly trembling fingers. God, she never hated any piece of clothing more than she hated this particular one right now. And these buttons… She rolled it over his shoulders and struggled a little with the cuffs until Alaric helped her get rid of the damned thing at last. Pressed her lips to his neck and smiled against his hot skin to the sound of a sharp intake of his breath when her fingers roamed down his chest, and his stomach, and around his waist, her own breath far from being deep and even as well. Felt him tense and her heart fluttered, delighted by the way he was responding to her touch.

Ric kissed his way down from her temple and across her cheek until his finally found her mouth again, stealing and muting soft moan that escaped her, his heart pounding so hard that he could barely hear anything past the rush of blood in his ears and Jenna's heartbeat against his chest. He could feel her pulse as well as if it was synced with his own. Which was a little insane – but a very good kind of insane.

Jenna didn't understand how exactly they ended up in the bedroom – did they even move? If they did, it totally went past her. But then it became obvious when Ric pulled back and lowered himself onto the edge of the bed.

Her hands fell lightly on his shoulders and she pressed her knee into the mattress near his hip when he caught her by the belt loop of her jeans and pulled her close, his eyes locked on hers, as he reached to cup her face with his hand. She was smiling. God, she was smiling, and that smile and the warmth radiating from it was taking his breath away, driving him crazy. She leaned into to touch kissing his palm, his wrist. Alaric buried his fingers in her hair drawing her in, and then brushed his lips against the sensitive spot at the curve of her neck, and then her collarbone, her shoulder, peppering his way with light kisses. He inhaled the scent of her hair, of her skin, of _Jenna_. Missing her was a huge understatement that apparently was nowhere close to describing what he was actually feeling.

She pressed her hands into his chest forcing him back, and then straddled his hips and bent down to catch his mouth again, her heart pounding heavily against her ribs and her head spinning. Her hair tickled his chest, and absently Jenna noted that Ric reached out to stroke it, loop it around her ear. Breathless, she craned her neck to plant a few small kisses on his chest before Alaric pushed himself up again, his arm hooked around her waist as he held her close against his body. She found his lips again, stealing his breath, and raked her lean fingers through his hair.

It wasn't enough. It was never enough. She was frightened – frightened like never before, and she needed him. She needed to stop thinking about the drama she was living with. And more than anything, she needed him to take it all away from her in the only way she could imagine now and make her feel safe again. Make her feel alive. She needed him to want her, now, always. And for just this time, she needed to be _the one_.

Soft laughter vibrated through Jenna's body at the low appreciative sound that formed in the back of Alaric's throat. And then her breath hitched when his hand traveled up her back and undid the clasp of her bra. He eased the straps over her shoulders and let it slip carelessly to the floor.

"Ric," she whispered almost soundlessly.

"Sh-h."

He silenced her with another kiss before gathering her in his arms and rolling them over to put Jenna on her back. She gasped against his mouth when her skin touched the much cooler bedspread but he only deepened the touch, making her forget about everything else but the two of them. His hands found hers and he pressed them into the bed above her head, entwining their fingers and holding tight. He freed one of them then, hovering over her, and traced his fingertips down her cheek watching her watch him back with those beautiful blue eyes of hers that turned opaque. He ran his thumb along her lower lip before dipping down for another long, searing kiss.

Jenna let out a small whimper of protest when his lips left hers and his fingers slipped out of her grasp, but then sighed with acceptance when he pressed his mouth to the spot between her breasts and kissed his way down her stomach, slowly as if he wanted to explore every inch of her body, which was oh so good with her.

Alaric was surprised to note faint lingering marks of the bruises on her ribs and arms she still had after the car crash. He ran his hands gently down her sides caressing tender spots before making the same route up with his mouth until he captured her lips again.

She wrapped her arms around his neck holding onto Ric – clinging, really – and arching her back to press herself against his body burning slowly from the inside. The taste of him, the touch of his hands, his breath on her skin – it was too much, and not enough, and yet it was so good and felt so right. Like being lost and then finding her way back home again, as cliché as it sounded. And the heat of his body, the strength radiating from him, tight muscles rolling beneath her fingers – it was all that mattered. _He_ was all that mattered. Like a lifeline to hold on to, like something that was keeping her together and in one piece.

Jenna felt his hand travel down her side and around her back and underneath the waistband of her jeans, and let out a soft sound of encouragement. His touch was somewhat rough against her soft smooth skin, and it sent a wave of shivers down her entire body. She felt his palm rest on her stomach making her catch her breath, and then his fingers reached for the button of her jeans. She couldn't think, couldn't breathe, couldn't… _anything_ – and wasn't really up to either. She inhaled sharply as if bracing herself and let her mind go blank.

_~ Yeah feed the rain_

_'Cause without your love my life _

_Ain't nothing but this carnival of rust_

_Poets of the Fall "Carnival Of Rust" ~

* * *

_

"I didn't plan it," Alaric told her in a low voice. "Just so you know," and maybe with more seriousness than he was feeling, knowing she'd hear theatrical solemnity in it. Couldn't help it.

He was half-sitting propped against the wooden headboard of his bed, holding Jenna against his body, her back pressed to his chest. His arm was hooked around her in that proprietorial way that bore a clear message _Mine_ while his fingers ran lazily along the exposed skin of her arm, from the wrist to the rolled up sleeve of his light-blue button-up shirt she was wearing and back.

"Really?" Jenna asked with fake disbelief, and added thoughtfully, "Because it definitely felt prepared and well-rehearsed."

Ric let out a short laugh, and then pressed his lips to the top of her head. "God, I missed you," he mumbled into her hair eliciting goose-bumps all over her body.

Jenna smiled to herself. "I missed wearing your stuff," she informed him nonchalantly, her lips spreading even wider.

He made a noise that she interpreted as a mixture of snort and chuckle. "Oh yeah?"

"Uh-huh." She arched her head back to give him a long considering look, brows drawn together and eyes narrowed as she studied his face. Alaric bent down and brushed his lips against hers making her smile again. "Well, maybe a couple of other things, too." She admitted if a little reluctantly burying her face into his neck and tickling his skin with her breath and fluttering eyelashes, and then groaned in a defeated voice a moment later, "And now you better take me home."

"No," he stroked her hair. "No way."

"I'm serious, Ric. I have class in the morning."

"Okay, I'll give you a ride."

"I need my books – which are at home."

"We'll stop by," he agreed easily.

"And my car is still at the school parking lot," she reminded him.

"Fine. I'll take you home first to get your books, and then we'll drive to school so that you could pick up your car," he told her. "My point is – in the morning. You're not going anywhere any time soon." Which sounded like he had already made up his mind.

On a soft sigh, Jenna relaxed into him marveling in mellow slumber, not at all up to fighting against something like _this_. It was just too good. Their breaths synced and her chest was rising and falling in time with his. It felt like floating through the clouds, and she thought distractedly that she could probably stay like this forever. Without thinking, just… just being. She reached for his hand and laced their fingers, feeling him toy absently with her hair. Yeah, she could definitely spend the rest of her life like that.

The room was lit only with a small reading-lamp on the bedside table. It cast a pool of pale yellowish light around them yet plunging the corners into deep shadows, smoothing the edges, blurring the shapes, softening everything. And it was quiet. So quiet she could sense his heartbeat, steady, close. The car passed by the house outside, the stream of headlights flashed through the curtains and brushed along the wall, and then everything was silent again. Still.

"You don't have to babysit me, you know?" She told him. _As much as I'd love you to_. Looked up again.

"Babysit?" Ric's brows arched. "Is that what they call _it_ now? Last time I checked it had some other name but—" he trailed of when Jenna snorted, obviously attempting to hide the giggle. Ran his hand up and down her arm. "Would you, um—would you like to have something to drink?"

"That would be nice."

"Okay then." She almost regretted her answer when he stirred behind her, breaking her utter and complete contentment. "Let me take care of it."

"Oh, I'll go with you." She waited for him to pull on his jeans, and then followed him to the kitchen. "Ric," called after him. He turned. "I missed you, too." And felt warm all over at the sight of a smile that lit up his face.

_And okay, that's a nice view_, Jenna admitted to herself as she watched him go through the cupboards, admiring his back, and his broad shoulders, and hard muscles rolling beneath the skin, and his narrow denim-clad hips. Not bad at all. It made her stomach flutter, and her lips curved into a satisfied half-smile on the will of their own. And, oh, it was good to know so well what these arms felt when they are around her body.

"So, I've got wine, scotch, beer…" Ric turned to her after examining the contents of the fridge, and she hoped she managed to wipe that high-school crush expression off of her face before he noticed.

She shook her head. "Uh… just water."

He nodded. "Okay."

"Ric, listen… about John—" Jenna started – blurted – surprising both him and herself and knowing that she probably did the only thing that could have ruined the moment. And yeah, maybe the timing wasn't good – now that she, if fact, _was_ feeling so damn good at last, but then again it was never perfect for something like that. And they really needed to get it over with.

He paused for the barest of moments, but it was long enough for her to notice it and wince and kick herself mentally. But when he turned to her again, his smile was soft and easy enough for the tight feeling in her stomach to loosen a little.

"I don't care, Jenna. Neither about him, nor about whatever happened between the two of you," Alaric told her.

"Well, I figured," she gave him a pointed once-over and then looked meaningfully down herself, her brows quirked up. "But just to make things straight…" Hell, she wished she could avoid it but it was one of these issues that you _had_ to deal with in order to move on. And it was right, perhaps. With the exception that right wasn't always the best. And it sure as hell never was easy. But— "I came for a visit one summer, two years after I left. It was the first time I returned to Mystic Falls since the whole Logan story. But I missed my family and, well, I grew up and cooled down. Or at least I thought so. John was hanging around as well, visiting Gray or… I don't know. I didn't care. He had always been an arrogant jerk, always running around with some secrets and we never got along so I tried to ignore him as best I could most of time.

"So, one night I went to the bar to see some old friends, have a couple of beers. Have _fun_." Her lips curved into a small sad smile. "Logan was there, flirting with some blonde little thing." She paused and then breathed out slowly. "I had spent two years trying to get over him and all the crap I had to go through when we were together. And just when I started to believe that it was finally working – _boom!_ – there it was all over again.

"Not just about him," she added, "not personally. More about the fact that he didn't seem to merely care. Like nothing happened. Like… he _never_ cared. So… I couldn't leave it like that, of course." Now there was sarcasm but Jenna didn't try to mask it. "Mature grown-up that I was, I needed to show off and prove that I didn't care either. Rub it in his face, you know? But more than anything," her voice dropped a little, "I needed to do something so wrong, and stupid, and disturbing that I'd be too busy despising myself to even remember about the very _existence_ of Logan Fell." She looked up at Alaric for the first time and offered him a half-hearted shrug when she failed to read his expression, her heart thudding somewhere in her stomach. "Which kind of worked, I guess. John was a jerk but he also was Gilbert, which automatically made him a member of that unofficial privileged club, and it was cool. It was like a slap in the face for Logan." Held his gaze. "But that was it, Ric. Nothing but a very big mindless mistake."

_And it would be nice if you said something now, before I started freaking out_, Jenna thought after a while listening to the buzz of the fridge and ticking of the clock on the wall.

Alaric took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. His insides twisted but he tried not to think about it. Damn it, she might have as well hit him with the baseball bat, and yet it would hardly feel any worse than that.

Oh boy, he was such a jerk! His overwhelming feeling of guilt mixed with deep self-disappointment and settled heavily in his chest. If only he could turn the time back… He should have known better, shouldn't he? He should have known it from the start. It was Jenna, for heaven's sake! He knew _her_! But no, he preferred to be blind, stupid and narrow-minded idiot instead. And he hurt her. For nothing. After all her support and the time that she gave him to deal with his issues, all he could do was screw it all up. Yeah, buddy, great work!

But… he took a deep breath knowing he was on dangerous ground now. He could either save them or destroy them completely. Yet, if they were spilling the beans, maybe it should work both ways so that they could sort it out somehow and… well, see where it would take them. It felt more like diving into the ice-cold water than like starting a conversation.

"Did you know that John and Isobel were dating?"

Jenna snapped her head up, not sure she heard or understood him correctly. "What?" She blinked. "John? _The_ John? Your wife Isobel?"

"Well, before we got married," Alaric added. "Before we even met, I guess. I found out just recently. By accident."

"No, I—" _feel like someone had just punched me_. "I had no idea. Speak of narrow world," she breathed out rubbing her forehead, as if it could sooth her restless mind. No, it didn't work. Not that she was expecting it to.

Okay, _now_ her head was spinning. John and Isobel… Felt like the craziest thing she'd ever heard. Maybe she'd need some time to wrap her mind around it. Like, a century or two.

_Oh, God_, Jenna raked her fingers through her tangled hair as it slowly started sinking in. At least his reaction was more understandable now. It wasn't just about her and another guy. They weren't high-school kids after all, each had a baggage of relationships in the past neither could hold against the other one, which seemed to be okay with both of them. It was about her and _John_, the very same man his wife was seeing at some period of time. The very same man Jenna happened to have _something_ with, too. Even if it was nothing.

Well, apparently it wasn't nothing to Ric, she told herself bitterly. And… what was he thinking about it, anyway? Was it just a weird coincidence to him? Or a pattern? She couldn't tell, and knew he probably couldn't either if his expression was any indication. But whatever it was, it was twisted. A bit too twisted maybe.

And it was a little too messed up for comfort as well. The whole situation. Like a snowball that was rolling down the hill and growing bigger with each passing moment preparing to hit someone real hard once it reached the bottom and bury them under its mass. And right now she was only seeing Ric and herself standing there and watching it getting closer.

Which made her feel somewhat lost again. On the one hand, it was a relief to know that she was finally seeing the situation through his eyes and could understand him better because his initial reaction was confusing, to say the least. But on the other, she felt stuck. It was out of control. She couldn't go back and undo the past or change anything about it, and that was something that was going to hover in the shadows forever. Okay, not for her maybe. To be honest, she couldn't care less about John and whoever he was involved with over the years. In fact, she didn't mind forgetting about him altogether. He might have as well gone right to hell, and she wouldn't have so much as turned to wave goodbye.

Alaric's take on the whole situation though… Truth was – he cared. That was the difference between them, and that was the problem. Be damned her memory that offered so helpfully the words he had said to Isobel when she happened so conveniently to eavesdrop on them. _I loved you, Isobel. I'd do anything for you_. Yeah, she was probably doomed to be haunted by the sound of it forever, Jenna thought sourly. Ric took it personally, she guessed, her and John. Well, they couldn't have known, could they? None of them could have seen it coming. She surely didn't remember doing it on purpose to screw up the most important relationship of her life in the future.

And, damn it, if it wasn't for the car accident and the death of her sister and Grayson, she would have never moved back to Mystic Falls in the first place. Not in the nearest twenty years, that she knew for sure. They could have never met – the thought made Jenna swallow uneasily but she fought to keep thinking past it. He could have not made any connection between Isobel and Mystic Falls, could have not moved here either – and in that case none of them would care, ever. And who on earth could say why it was happening at all?

Jenna turned around and made those two steps that separated her from the counter just for the sake of doing something. She felt herself a prisoner now. A prisoner of the situation that she couldn't' change and couldn't do anything about except for trying to find her way between the rocks without sinking. It would also be nice to keep her face while doing it, too. And wasn't her entire life about keeping face anyway?

Okay, she'd deal with her personal drama later. With yet another one, she added darkly in her mind. Right now they were kind of in the middle of something that was probably called "figuring out where they were standing". Shaky ground, thin ice, whatever. It was just too weird.

Jenna bit her lower lip. She'd work it out, one way or another. She just had a bit too much on her mind right now. Too much information to deal with at once. One step at a time, she reminded herself. Slow, cautious, thought-through. Okay then, she took a breath, bracing herself. Just in case he'd want to get out and give it some more thinking, even after they… oh, well.

She turned. _Stay cool_. "Look—" _we can take a step back and take some more time if you want_. But he was standing right there, their bodies practically touching – she was probably too lost in thought to notice him approach – and he was watching her with his warm eyes, and the words died on her tongue before Jenna remembered how to speak.

Ric's lips curved into a smile at the sight of confusion on her face. Doubt, wariness – he could see it all. The very same feelings that were coursing through him as well, perhaps. And yes, he had at least a thousand of reasons to keep pushing her away every time something wasn't perfectly smooth between them. Reasons like being hurt or having his life being stomped over once again. It was a reflex, he realized. Something he used to protect himself. It was easy, and convenient. And he'd be even a bigger jerk if he kept doing it to her.

Not to mention that it was pretty stupid to keep hiding in the shell from what was going on between them, he added. And he'd sure as hell spent too much time rejecting her and his own feelings out of some stupid fear for it to be anything but pathetic. To hell with safety, he was tired of it. And her somewhat cautious expression was adorable, reminding him momentarily of what had drawn him to her in the first place. She was genuine. She cared.

"Hey," Ric reached out to brush a strand of hair off of her forehead.

And then he was kissing her, deep, and slow, and like they had all the time in the world. And he was holding her so tight that Jenna was sure she wouldn't be able to draw in a single breath even if she could. But it felt great, and it definitely was enough to make all of her self-doubts disappear, telling her everything that she needed to know. Leave alone the fact that it saved her a long speech that she was half-prepared to give, or receive. Whatever. Instead she draped her arms around his neck and let him make her head spin.

The high-pitched shrill of Alaric's cell phone made him groan in protest as he pulled away unwillingly. "Crap," he muttered breathlessly. It was tempting to ignore it altogether and get back to something a lot more interesting. Yet, the moment was broken already, and it didn't go past him that Jenna tensed a little, so he might have as well tried and found out who'd been so nice to bother him. Not that he didn't know, but… "I've got to take this," he sighed when his phone started the second round and reached for it, his other arm still holding her against his body. "Yes?"

"_Update_," Damon singsonged into his ear. "_They identified the bodies. These two were reported missing last week. Some campers that found no better place to go_," he chuckled somewhat mischievously. "_And look how it ended_."

"Well, at least we know who they are," Alaric noted.

Holding back her own disappointed sigh, Jenna let her arms fall from his neck and wrapped him around his waist instead. She kissed his bare shoulder and then looked up. "Who is it?" Her voice barely a whisper.

"Damon," he mouthed soundlessly and ran his hand up and down her back.

"_So this town should have a warning sign some_—" Damon cut off. "_Hey, what was that?_"

"Jenna."

There was a brief pause on the line. "_Oh… Ooooh!_" Alaric closed his eyes and counted to five in his mind. He could practically see Damon's lips form into a crooked _I-know-it-all_ grin. "_Am I interrupting something?_"

"Do you think I'd be answering if you were?" Alaric smirked, and Jenna snorted too, catching the general direction of the conversation, which Ric was sure was loud enough for Damon to hear.

"_Now _that_ would be kinky_," he drawled. "_Besides, you didn't pick up the first time_—"

"Damon. Focus."

"_Kinda hard now_," Damon scoffed, obviously pondering pros and cons of going on with his mockery. "_Anyway. They didn't find much. It was, apparently, more of a dining place than actual lair. The Sheriff is now on her way to the office to deal with that horrible amount of paperwork I don't want to even imagine. And a couple of her guys are still crouching along the passage hoping to find something. She told them to check every inch of it and I guess they took it literary_."

"Well, they better."

"_Liz was all up for cementing the whole place but looks like it has some historical value, being the original construction and having something to do with the church and Civil War, blah, blah, blah…_" Damon huffed with frustration. "_She's going to talk to the Historical and Heritage Societies about it. But for now they plan to put the bars and keep checking it on daily basis_."

"That's—that's better than nothing," Alaric breathed out feeling the headache forming behind his eyes. The reality appeared to be as cruel and unappealing as it was when he chose to forget about it for a while a couple of hours ago. And now it was throwing right in his face again.

"_It _**is**_ nothing, Ric_," Damon grumbled, annoyed. "_We cross three names out of the list of missing people but we're not a step closer_."

Okay, he had a point there, and Ric sighed subtly when it sunk in. Instinctively, he tightened his grip on Jenna. They weren't any closer than before, not a little, and it seriously bothered him on more than once level. She was in danger, and it was killing him, but he could do nothing – and it was killing him even more.

"Yeah," he mumbled, not as eager to agree as to fill the silence. "Thanks for calling, Damon."

"_Anytime. You like middle of the night calls, I'll put you on my list just for the hell of it._"

"Don't you dare—"

"_Oh, you'd like it,_" he assured Alaric. "_You never told me how _you_ found this place, by the way_. _And don't tell me it happened by chance. Even I didn't know there was some tunnel. There was no way you'd just…_."

"It's a long story."

"_I'm not in a hurry_."

"You never are," Ric scoffed.

"_Oh, and you have a pretty girl out there_."

"Yeah, thanks for remembering it."

There was a heavy exasperated sigh on the other end of the line. "_Fine, but you owe me this. Have a good night, Ric,_" Damon said somewhat cheerfully, and then added in a whoosh of breath, "_And it would make one of us_."

"Good night, Damon."

"What is it?" Jenna asked as soon as he hung up. Tried to keep her voice level, even mildly curious, but the worry slipped anyway. There wasn't much to pick up from Ric's part of the conversation and her mind was just too hazy to try and eavesdrop on what Damon was saying. Yet, night calls never promised anything good, and that knot in her stomach was a bit too tight for comfort.

Alaric put the phone away and sighed. "Nothing," he shook his head and filled her in briefly.

It didn't help much but at least she was in the loop.

When he finished, she nodded slowly. "There was someone else, Ric," she murmured. "When I was there, there was someone else, I'm sure." Squeezed her eyes tight fighting to see the images that lurked in the back of her mind hiding in the shadows, but every time she was close enough, they slipped away. "Damn, I wish I could remember!" Jenna grunted with frustration. It was better that way though. Annoyance felt more comfortable than panic. She still hated it but it was a little less disturbing. "It's like black spot in my mind and I can't see anything past it. But… there should have been someone, right?"

Yeah, and there probably was. "Don't think about it now," Ric kissed the top of her head. They had enough of this for one night. "Come on, let's go back to bed."

And, boy, it sounded good, she had to admit. "But we—we don't have to sleep, right?" Jenna asked lifting her head up again and feeling her lips stretch into a contemplative grin. Her gaze lingered meaningfully on his lips, and she knew it didn't go past him. Couldn't have.

Alaric looked down, one brow cocked, then reached to loop her hair around her ears holding her face up, his eyes narrowed with mock suspicion. "What do you have in mind?"

"Oh, I don't know." She rose on her toes and kissed the corner of his mouth first before brushing her lips against his. "But I guess we can think something out."

* * *

She was cute and bubbly, and utterly boring, but Damon decided that he liked having her around as a background noise. Some college student visiting her parents in Mystic Falls and bored as hell. He was feeling for her, kinda. As long as it was okay to just sit in the bar, sip his bourbon, smile and nod occasionally as though he was actually following the conversation. Namely, as long as she didn't want him to actually participate in it, whatever it was about. To be completely honest, he lost track of it an hour ago, about two minutes after it started. He knew that she didn't care either – a couple of martinis did their job and now she was grateful to simply have a couple of ears, even if they weren't really listening.

He turned to study her thoughtfully. Long dark hair, delicious mole in the corner of full mouth, deep chocolate eyes clouded slightly by alcohol. For a moment or two he contemplated finally having fresh meal instead of his usual pre-packed O-negative from the blood bank warmed in the microwave. Weird as it was, Damon couldn't help thinking of it as a frozen dinner compared to exquisite cuisine offered by a five-star restaurant. Be damned Elena Gilbert and her little voice buzzing in his head and telling him that it was so damn wrong to have a healthy diet. He was vampire, for heaven's sake, not some serial killer! He needed blood to live, not because he liked killing! Not that he didn't like it, but…

And speak of the devil… Damon snorted humorlessly under his breath when he caught sight of her out of the corner of his eye. He could damn well feel her walk into the Grill and it was… it was freaking annoying! As if he was attuning to her every bloody time she was around. Not only was it not cool, it was pretty much pitiful.

Deliberately, he turned away and stared at the wall stacked with the bottles on the other side of the counter. His babbling companion didn't seem to merely notice lack of interest on his side, so he just carried on with the plan – even though her appearance made him lose his appetite. But Elena didn't even look his way – yeah, he could feel it, too. Instead, she headed straight to her blonde Miss Mystic friend and her busboy boyfriend hanging out at the pool table, and Damon didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed.

It irked him for at least a hundred of reasons that she didn't so much as notice him when he had no problem with it, ha-ha. But if she did, and if she came up to say hi, he'd probably offer her a couple of snarky comments, bundle of joy that he was, and make things even worse because he probably loved Elena just as much as he hated her for the way she was making him feel. He didn't know what to do with it, and it sucked.

No-win situation.

"So, what do you think?" He heard all of a sudden when his mind jumped back to here and now.

Damon turned, a part of him surprised to find the girl still sitting on the next stool. He totally forgot about her and now he couldn't help but wince at the fact that she wasn't just… gone, or something.

Well, whatever she was talking about, he wasn't interested, not even close. Besides, she started to annoy him. So, he gave her a fleeting smile, and then caught her eyes and pulled her mind into the bubble of compulsion where he was the center of her entire universe, and she was happy with it, or at least content enough.

"Why don't you go home now?" Damon said in a low soothing voice leaning a bit closer and waited for the offer to sink in and settle in her head.

The girl hesitated briefly as if his offer was in conflict with what she had on her mind before, but then her body relaxed, her smile widened and became a little goofy.

"Okay!"

She slid off the stool forgetting about her half-finished drink on the counter and strolled to the exit if a little unsteadily leaving Damon alone and finally at peace with his own restless thoughts. Having her around was a little too tiring in any case.

"What the hell did you tell her?" Alaric asked walking up to the vampire, his eyes following the girl that maneuvered her way through the crowd before he turned to Damon again.

"Whatever it was, she should be grateful I didn't tell her to do everyone a favor and go and drown herself," Damon grumbled around another sip of his drink.

"You're losing your grip," Ric chuckled.

"I'm losing my bloody reputation. And self-respect."

"Well, I'd say you're holding on pretty well," Alaric noted, observing sulky vampire.

Damon scolded him not buying humorless tone. "What are you doing here anyway, Ric? Don't you have papers to grade? Or football players to coach? Or, I don't know, something else that makes your life so damn exciting."

The comment made Ric smirk. "I'm meeting Jenna for dinner here."

The vampire's lips twitched. "So," he drawled lazily, "you're good again?".

_Better than good_. "Yeah, I guess so." He shrugged. "What are _you_ doing here? I mean wallowing is great but…" _it's getting old_, he wanted to add but decided not to.

"Listening," Damon replied mildly finishing his drink and ordered another one with a wave of his hand. "You never know what you can pick from the conversations in the bar," he added with the expression of a man who knew what he was talking about.

His eyes flickered meaningfully toward his drink when it arrived and then back to Alaric in silent question but Ric only shook his head.

"Has there been any news?" He asked in a low voice.

"I wouldn't call it news but—"

"What?"

"These campers, the girl was stabbed."

Alaric frowned. "Why didn't you—"

"They didn't examine them properly in that _cave_ last night," Damon explained. "So they didn't notice. But the sure did it later. Drained of blood – yes, but she also had a butcher's knife wound in her stomach."

"Which means—?"

"How the hell would I know?" Damon rolled his eyes. "You asked about the news, that's all I've got."

"Here you are," Jenna appeared beside them and slipped her arm around Ric's waist cutting them both off.

"Hey," he turned, his voice and smile warming and softening by the second, and bent down to kiss her.

"Damon," she turned to the vampire.

"Jenna," he saluted at her with his glass, his lips forming into a poor imitation of a crooked smile.

"What are you guys up to?" She shifted her eyes from one to another, her voice light.

"Nothing," Alaric shrugged matter-of-factly. "I just came to say hello." He turned to Damon. "Would you like—" _to join us?_

"Oh, get out of my sight," Damon waved them off, huffing, before Ric had chance to finish, but rather good-naturedly for a change.

"What's wrong with him?" Jenna asked as they were making their way to one of the free tables and threw a quick curious look at Damon's leather jacketed back over her shoulder.

"Bad day, I guess," Ric responded if a little distractedly, his hand coming to rest on the small of her back. "How was yours?"

"I was late," she looked meaningfully at him before lowering herself down on the chair that he held for her.

Alaric's brows quirked up as he took his own seat. "And they what, put you in detention?" Which did sound a little amusing, if only because he knew that back in the day she was the rebellious detention type.

She regarded him over the laminated menu in her hands, then put it down and slanted forward propping her forearms on the table. "Three words," her voice dropped conspiratorially. "You. Shower. Trouble. We're not doing it again." Paused and added, breaking into a smile, "On busy mornings." And felt deep satisfaction at the sight of the grin that spread across his face.

Alaric snickered softly, replaying certain details in his mind. He locked his eyes on hers then and held her gaze, studying her features. It didn't take much to notice the circles under her eyes and her overall tiredness, even though Jenna obviously fought to ignore it. Explicable, he knew it. But it didn't mean he was okay with it.

"How are you?" He asked when they placed their orders – iced tea and two burgers.

"Fine," she sagged against the back of her chair and raked her fingers through her hair. "I guess."

"They didn't actually put you in detention, did they?"

She laughed. "No, but they were close." Paused. "So, what were you and Damon talking about?"

And then her eyebrows shot up quizzically referring to his own uncertainty and edginess, which weren't easy to hide. His chances of wiggling out of answering were slim to none.

"The girl that they found last night in that tunnel… she was stabbed."

Jenna's eyes grew wide. "Oh God," she breathed out soundlessly.

"Yeah, I know," Ric shook his head. "Doesn't make much sense, and it's… unexpected," he admitted. "Different."

Maybe she fought, he thought. Maybe she tried to run away, or something. Maybe it was just an accident and it wasn't meant to happen. Or maybe she tried to defend herself and was forced to hurt herself instead. It was still tragic though, and he definitely could understand the willingness of the authorities to keep it open to avoid unnecessary speculations. They couldn't have kept feeding everyone the animal attack crap when a stab was involved. And to be honest, it was, in fact, easier to sell the accidental injure than animal attack story anyway.

"No, it's… it's not that." Jenna took the menu again, if only to do something with her hands, and started fiddling with it in her fingers.

He didn't like her voice. "What is it?" Alaric asked warily.

She hesitated, as if searching for the words. Dropped her gaze down to avoid his scrutiny, put the menu away and let her finger trace absently the curves and cracks in the wooden surface of the table. "On one of the nights when I woke up from this thing, you know, when I walk in my sleep, I was downstairs, in the kitchen, with the knife in my hand."

Chill trickled down his spine. "When?"

"A couple of weeks ago," Jenna heaved a sigh and stared sightlessly before herself.

Ric relaxed a little. "Look, they didn't find any knife there."

"I could have taken it with me," she pointed out.

"You didn't have any knife when you showed up at my place, I would've noticed it."

"What if I threw it away?" There was such desperation and helplessness to her voice that his heart fell.

"Jenna, stop it." Okay, he didn't sound much better, searching for words but finding none. "Are any of your knives missing?" He asked trying to keep it light because it was obvious that she was a step away from seriously freaking out.

"Well, not that I'm aware of but—"

"Good. Your mother's silver set would never forgive you," he informed her.

"It's not a joke, Ric," she told him with reproach although he was relieved to notice that she put an effort into keeping her face straight, the corners of her mouth did tag up a little. She paused when their drinks arrived. "I have no control of it when I black out. What if I…"

"You didn't," he cut her off firmly. "Someone is screwing with your mind." And the anger that was ringing in his voice that very moment referred to the fact that he couldn't put his hand on whoever was doing it. "Please, don't let them do it. Just—just don't."

Ric reached out to take her hand and linked their fingers. And then his grip flexed when his gaze shifter over her shoulder and his face hardened.

Curious, Jenna looked back just in time to see John waving at someone in the depth of the bar. Thankfully, he either didn't notice them, or preferred to ignore them because he disappeared in the crowd without so much as a look in their direction.

"Behave," she warned Ric turning back, his murderous expression making her anxiety disappear. Well, almost.

"I hate him," he muttered darkly, obviously trying to knock John down with the power of his mind, and then let out a frustrated sigh.

"Well, join the club," Jenna scoffed. "But murder is still illegal as far as I'm concerned."

"I don't want him anywhere near you," he added stubbornly, even though his voice dropped a little as his thumb stroked the back of her hand.

"So, you're a jealous type after all," she smiled propping her chin on her hand and watching him slide into embarrassment, pleased by the fact that he didn't object. "Give me some time to figure out how I feel about it."

"I just don't like having him around." He did sound a little defensive this time.

"Please, tell me you're not going to do something stupid," Jenna shook her head.

"Well, not that you've mentioned it—" he started.

"Ric."

He chuckled. "Hey, I have an idea. Let's do something… distracting." He let go of her hand when their food was placed on the table. "We could rent some videos, or… Let's go somewhere, get out of town. I could take a couple of days off, or we could do it on the weekend." God knew they both could use a break. "Just you and me. What'd you say?"

Oh, now _that_ sounded good! Just the two of them and no one else, and maybe – maybe – she'd finally be able to take her mind off of all that crap at least for a little while, Jenna thought. She needed it so damn much. Just to lose herself in him and forget about the rest of the world.

"That—that sounds great," she smiled

Good, he thought. Maybe it _was_ running away from the problems instead of solving them. But to hell with connotations. It hurt him to see her like that, fighting so hard to keep herself together, always on the verge, bouncing between understandable fear and her usual easiness she worked hard on maintaining. Besides, that shower thing in the morning was nice, he certainly didn't mind having more of it. They definitely could use some time alone.

Ric reach out to touch her hair, tuck it behind her ear. "Okay."

And then… then something weird happened. Something wrong. He didn't knew what or why but one moment he was planning to sneak Jenna away and have her all for himself for a while since they barely had any time for themselves without some drama stomping in with the grace of drunken elephant into it, and the next – his skin was crawling with inexplicable anxiety and that bad kind of anticipation that never meant anything good. Had it sounded less lame, he'd say he was _feeling_ the trouble coming.

"Ric?" Jenna called, sensing change in him.

Alaric looked around the bar scanning the crowd, trying to see if something was out of place, his eyes narrowed slightly. Nothing seemed to be out of order at first sight. People were chatting, eating, drinking and playing pool, the sound of the balls scattering around the tables and hitting each other was often followed by some comments of criticism or approval and laughter. But it was only then that Alaric noticed that Damon was gone, his stool by the bar counter empty.

He frowned. He would have noticed, right? If Damon decided to leave the bar, he would have walked past them. So where the hell did he go?

"Ric, what is it?" Jenna's fingers brushed along his hand as she looked around too, shifting a little closer to him.

Nothing, he wanted to say, but then he spotted a familiar black leather jacket as its owner moved subtly towards the back door near the kitchen, and the word died on his tongue. A little too subtly, Ric noted with growing suspicion. Okay, what was he up to now?

"Give me a second," he muttered distractedly, getting up.

"What's going on?" Jenna frowned, her voice confused.

"I'll be right back," Alaric offered her a small reassuring smile. "Just wait here, okay? I'll be back in a minute."

Back door, he repeated in his mind strolling towards it between the tables. Why the hell would Damon sneak out of the back door?

"Trouble?" The familiar voice set Jenna's teeth on edge. She didn't notice him sneak up on her and it was irritating.

"Not until you showed up." She shot back, glaring daggers at John.

"Just asking," he shrugged, his gaze followed the direction in which Alaric disappeared half a minute ago.

"Get lost, John," she offered fighting to hold growing frustration at bay and pretended being overly interested in menu again, intentionally keeping her eyes on bright colorful pages.

"You're making a nice team, with his vampire wife running around and wanting him back."

"Are you sure you want to talk to me when I have a fork in my hand?" Jenna wondered in a nonchalant voice that was dangerously calm.

"We didn't finish our conversation before," John pressed on.

"Maybe," Jenna looked up again. "But we surely said enough."

* * *

That cocktail was probably too much. Just like the other two before it. But she didn't notice how it happened, really. If she could just only find the cab now—

But the world was spinning a little making it hard to concentrate on one thought for more than a few seconds, which was kind of funny but also a little… distracting. She reached out to try and maintain her balance in the carousel of a situation and leaned against the rough brick wall.

"Hey, you okay there?" She heard from behind and started to turn.

* * *

When Alaric swung the door open and all but burst out and into the narrow alley that ran between the Grill and the antique shop which basically stood on the parallel street, he saw Damon crouch beside a light-haired girl that was sitting on the pavement with her back leaned against the brick wall. She was pressing a mass of a silk scarf to the side of her neck and staring at Damon with wide unblinking eyes while he stared back at her, his hand lying on her shoulder. Ric saw his lips moving, or so it seemed to him in a very dim light coming from the bare bulb hanging above the door, but it was impossible to hear a word from where he was standing.

"What's going on? What happened?" He approached them in brisk pace, his breath puffing out in small clouds and the sound of his footsteps echoing in the still air.

Damon lifted his head up. "I thought I heard something," he grimaced and then pushed himself up to his feel as the girl continued to watch him with glassy eyes, although Ric failed to guess if it was compulsion or something else. Like alcohol, assuming where they were. "Spooked her."

Alaric's ears perked. "_Her?_"

"It was a woman," Damon winced again. "Must've heard me coming because she was prepared to flee. And she did it fast, I barely got a glimpse of her." He looked down the alley with obvious annoyance. Turned to Ric then. "Tall, dark hair."

Alaric froze as chill ran down his spine, his frown deepened. "You think it was Isobel?"

"I don't think anything, I'm just telling you what I saw."

Ric swallowed trying not to go into the whole _Didn't you know from the start_ thing, his gaze darted down. "How is she?"

Damon gave the girl a long speculative look. "She'll be fine, a little dizzy from the blood loss and severely hung-over in the morning. And maybe it'd teach her to stay away from places like that in the future."

Alaric looked up and down the alley, too. "But… why? I mean it's a weird place and…" he trailed off.

"Well. Maybe because of these chicken burgers or live music," Damon shrugged and nodded towards the door that led to the Grill. "Or because you and your girlfriend are so conveniently hanging out here tonight."

In struck Ric. "Jenna," he breathed out. _Is fine_, he told himself, probably browsing through the selection of desserts on the menu in a very crowded and very safe bar waiting for him. He pushed his worry and panic away because it was rapidly turning into paranoia. Not that it was completely uncalled-for, small evil voice inside of his head reminded him but he brushed it off as well. She was only a couple of walls and few feet away whereas someone else nearly got eaten not ten minutes ago. He looked over his shoulder and then back at Damon. "What now?"

The vampire studied the girl once again. "I'm going to call Liz, and she," he poked down, "might need some ER help with the bleeding but I'm going to make it the Sheriff's problem."

"You sure she's going to be alright?" Ric asked once again, a bit skeptical. The scarf, once light-yellow, was soaked with blood now.

"Yeah," Damon fished his phone out of the back pocket of his jeans, scrolled down the phone book and hit the dial button. "And you better get out of here if you don't want to be a part of the rescue party. And… if I were you, I'd probably pay a social visit to your ex. Just saying."

"Yeah, I—I better go," he echoed distractedly, ignoring the last part of Damon's comment. "I'll take Jenna home and call you later."

On the last partying look, Alaric pulled the door open and slipped back into the staff corridor, momentarily washed over by the smell of fries, coffee and grilling burgers. He wasn't supposed to be here – none who wasn't a staff member was – but it was evening rush hour, so no one paid any attention. Everyone was too busy with the orders. He snaked between the hurrying waitresses and then stopped short, terrified, the moment he stepped into the common area.

The table where he left Jenna a few minutes ago was empty.

**To be continued…

* * *

**

Thanks for reading! There's not much left, so… reviews and comments are always appreciated! I love them :) Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's note**: oh boy, it took me ages to update, and not even figuratively :P I' am so, so sorry. Writer's blocks and real life interfering with writing suck, period :P Thank you so much for your patience! 3

And don't worry, there's not much left, so please bear with me until I'm done :)

This is so not the best of me but I hope you'll like it one way or another. Please, don't me harsh :) And feel free to dig in now!

* * *

**Chapter 14**

With his heart hammering like crazy and feeling like someone had just punched him in the gut real hard because he couldn't breathe properly, Alaric crossed the overcrowded space not quite caring about having to push and elbow his way forward. He reached the table, stopped and spun around searching the crowd for a familiar glimpse of honey hair or beige jacket, his blood pulsing in his ears, blurring his vision and dimming his senses.

Oh God, he was such an idiot thinking that she was safe in a public place. He should have known better than that, he should have…

Alaric whirled around when someone touched his elbow, practically jumping on the spot out of surprise, and blinked with disbelief when he found Jenna standing next to him, definitely alive and visibly unharmed. And boy, his heart was pounding so hard that for a moment or two he honestly thought that she wasn't real and he was just seeing things if only because he wanted to see her safe so much.

"Here you are," Jenna smiled, oblivious to his inner turmoil.

"Where have you been?" He asked hoarsely and swallowed to make his throat a little less dry, still not entirely sure she wasn't a figment of his imagination.

"Ladies' room," she answered nodding towards the far end of the bar. "John came up with some half-assed small talk and it was either clawing his eyes out, or scramming. And I chose the latter because… well, you know, getting violent with all these witnesses around," she offered him a crooked grin, which faded when she finally gave him a proper look and noted that something was really off. For starters, he was a little too pale for the reason she couldn't define. "You okay?" She reached for his arm, frowning.

"I—" _am having trouble with holding my thoughts together._ Ric cleared his throat. "Yeah, sure. Fine." He looked around again noting in the back of his mind that he didn't exactly like looking like a moron. "It's… um, it's a little noisy here today, don't you think?" Which was probably lame.

"Yeah, I guess." Jenna was still watching his face closely though. "You sure you're alright? Did anything happen?"

"When?" He asked automatically, slightly distracted.

"I don't know, Ric," she let her lips curve into a soft smile. "You're the one who looks like you've just seen a ghost, not me."

"No, I—" he turned to her again forcing a small smile back, still not entirely back to his senses. And his heartbeat was a bit too rapid for comfort although it was slowly getting back to normal. Crazy as it was, he would really prefer not to let her out of his sight until this entire story was over. And maybe after that, too. "Let's get out of here. Get those movies…" he trailed off when they were sidestepped into the alcove near the window by the noisy crowd making their way toward the exit.

Once the chatter faded, Jenna caught him by his unzipped jacket holding tight and closing the distance between them, not that the small space they'd been squeezed into required it, but still. She could practically feel uneasiness coming from him in thick waves and the fact that she couldn't quite put her finger on why bothered her a lot. She wasn't joking when she said he looked like he had seen a ghost, not entirely at least. Yet, it was also one of the reasons she decided not to push. He didn't look like it was a good idea to begin with. And she trusted him to tell her if it was anything worth telling about. But to be honest, right now she didn't want to think about it, period.

She looked up, fixed her gaze on his. "Or we could," she started rather matter-of-factly, trying oh so hard to keep her voice even, "go to your place and get, you know, reacquainted."

Her offer sunk in, and Alaric couldn't help but grin at it, his tension starting to ease minutely. She knew, without a doubt, how to do it, he thought. How to make things better just by being there. That dorky side of her was a sure thing to save the day every time something was wrong, which was probably what he loved most about her.

He bent down to her ear and whispered, still smiling, "Whatever you want," before kissing a tender spot right beneath her earlobe, which was just as much as Jenna could allow him do in public, although this time the familiar scent and the warmth of him as well as some unsettling desperation almost made her reconsider it.

Ric, apparently, had the same dilemma to deal with as he rested his forehead against hers and exhaled slowly.

"Promise?" She asked hopefully.

"You are truly something, Jenna. You know it, right?" There was amusement in his voice too, and for a moment there, in a shadowed corner, which was just as private as they could get in a noisy bar with blasting music and bursts of laughter, she almost believed that they were the only people in the entire world.

"I can take it as a compliment, right?"

Still, Alaric sighed and pulled back reluctantly, his hands still lying on her upper arms. It didn't go past Jenna that his edginess, or at least part of it, was back, and it made all of her questions rush back. Although the main question remained the same – did she really want to know?

Ric looked around the bar again. Scowled when he spotted John at the counter, probably waiting for his drink, but forced the irritation back. Jenna obviously saw him too, and he heard her huff under her breath.

Okay, so Damon was telling him it was Isobel's doing from the start. He didn't want to believe it back then. And honestly, he still didn't. A vague half shadow or whatever it was that Damon saw a few minutes ago didn't mean that he was right. A woman with dark hair didn't have to necessarily be Isobel, Ric told himself. It could have been anyone.

And why he was still searching for any redeeming qualities in his ex was still beyond him. Not that it was making much sense. But the truth was that even when being with Jenna, and knowing how he was feeling about her, it was hard for him to believe that he had spent a great part of his life loving a woman that turned into a cold-hearted calculative monster so easily. He didn't care that her very nature was about being a monster now. Deep inside, Alaric thought, he'd never accept it and never get over it.

But somehow it turned out that accepting and moving on were two entirely different concepts, and even though he was still getting nowhere with the first one, he believed he was at the very least making progress with the second. He knew that the way he felt about Isobel and the way she hurt him would always be there, as a reminder or precaution. But he couldn't and wasn't going to let his past rule his future. Not in that case. Not with Jenna.

* * *

It started with small things. And wasn't it always about small things? Not that finding her favorite coffee mug in the cupboard with flour and mixing bowls or her car keys in the bathroom was the end of the world. It wasn't like she was deliberately putting her shoes in the fridge or washing her clothes in the dish washer, Jenna told herself trying to ignore it as best she could. She forgot to lock her car for the night once – there was no serious need for it in Mystic Falls but the habits she'd picked up at college were still there – and then successfully ruined her white tank top by putting it into the washing machine together with the black sweater. In the grand scheme of things, there was nothing wrong with it either, as well as with a million of tiny things going completely wrong, and she successfully wrote it off to the overall stress and pressure and having too much on her mind, which was true in any case.

Yet, the problem was that it was breaking the routine she was desperately seeking her comfort in, and it was bringing her anxiety and fears to a whole new level. At times she couldn't help but think that her mind didn't belong to her anymore but she couldn't do anything about it, and it was frightening.

Also, there were memories, like those that she told Ric about. Memories of the things she couldn't recall happening but that were definitely real – like, recognizing the people she'd never met or knowing where everything was in the places she'd never been to.

Jenna checked it once just for the hell of it. She went to the old cemetery one morning because she couldn't get the image of the Thomas Fell mausoleum out of her mind. She'd been there before of course but since the cemetery was no longer in use, most of the crypts were locked and sealed to keep the curious and the homeless out. Effortlessly, she found her way among the tombstones without even giving much thinking to it and opened the wrought iron gate, which, to her endless surprise, bore no sign of a chain or a padlock to keep it protected. The gate let out a blood-chilling screech and gave in unwillingly. The thought of bringing the flashlight was a little belated and Jenna kicked herself mentally for not thinking about it earlier. But all in all, the light coming from the outside was more or less enough to save her from tripping once her eyes got used to semi-darkness.

Jenna walked along the wall absently pausing before the memorial plate. She had never been inside before, if only because it had always been locked for as long as she could remember. But knowing exactly what was written on the plate, every single word of it, made chill run down her spine. Just like with the damned Fell's Church secret escape passageway – she simply knew. How – she didn't want to know. Realizing that she couldn't turn her mind off and couldn't escape was more than enough to freak her out.

In most cases, each time these memories were coming, there was something else lurking in the periphery of her vision, and she fought hard to try and see who or what it was, if only to make a small step in the direction of understanding what the hell was this all about. But it was too smart and too fast to let it happen. Just like with that small piece of memory she had about the time she'd spent in the Fell's Church tunnel, it was never enough to be of any help. And it was making her feel trapped inside of her own head which of course was weird and uncomfortable by definition, but beside that, it was settling a desperate dread inside of Jenna making her think she'd never be able to get her normal life back.

And then, just to make it even more exciting, there were dreams – on these rare nights she'd let herself catch a couple of hours of restless sleep – full of frightening things she couldn't understand, and blood, and death, and fangs tearing through her delicate skin and sinking into her neck and drawing life out of her. The dreams where she was seeing her sister's blood-stained face. There was sadness in Miranda's eyes, and accusation as if she wanted to tell Jenna how disappointed she was with her little sister. These dreams were leaving a weird aftertaste of some incompleteness that Jenna wasn't able to shake off for a very long time. It was sticky and wrong, and she couldn't help wishing to claw them out of her mind.

Of course she was doing her best to ignore all of that, if only for the sake of her sanity, as if fearing that the blackness could pull her in and never let go. Plus, she had enough of other stuff to think about beside her growing paranoia and a prickling feeling on the back of her neck as if someone was constantly watching her. The problem was, it was easier said than done, and she couldn't exactly help looking back every now and then while walking down the street to make sure no one was deliberately following her. And even if they were, how would she tell? But she knew that she couldn't let it take over her. Except that she didn't have a choice.

One night Jenna slipped out of the bed and padded blindly across the dark room to the adjacent bathroom, still half-asleep. She flipped on the light and managed to make two whole steps in before she stopped short, her blood freezing in her veins as she woke up momentarily. _"Wanna play?"_ was written on the mirror over the sink in what could have easily been her crimson lipstick but what she was pretty sure was blood.

It was like a punch in the gut. Jenna swallowed hard staring at the reflection of her very pale self marred with bright-red lopsided letters, feeling like her entire world was spinning around her. Numbly, she took a small step backwards, and then another one. The walls seemed to be closing in on her and she needed to escape. She needed to get out of there before the feeling that her face was all but pressed into the creepy message suffocated her. Her heart was thudding heavily somewhere in her stomach. And then she span around when she bumped into something behind her, barely holding back the squeal that rose in her throat.

"Jenna?" Ric squinted sleepily at her, his voice low and hoarse. He blinked waiting for his eyes to adjust to the light.

Relief washed over her, and Jenna let out a heavy breath she didn't even notice she was holding. With that near heart-attack over the creepy message moments ago, she almost forgot Alaric stayed for the night and the light must have woken him up as well. Relief washed over her. Having him near somehow brought the world back to its place. At least she wasn't alone.

"There's—" Jenna started, turning around, and faltered.

The mirror was clean. Not a trace of anything on the smooth surface, which, to be honest, shocked her a lot more than what she saw initially. Or what she thought she saw.

"What?" Ric asked, confused. He observed the bathroom over her head.

Jenna felt his hand rest on the small of her back, the warmth of it soothing her instantly. Alright, fine… "I—" she studied the mirror again, but nothing changed. "I thought—I thought I saw—" she breathed out and shook her head looking up at him. "Nothing."

"Jenna, are you okay?" Ric's brows drew together as he watched her warily.

"Yeah, I just… it's…"

"What?"

"I had a weird dream, I guess." She forced a weak smile and rubbed her eyes tiredly.

Alaric swept the bathroom with another glance, then leaned down to kiss her on the forehead. "Let's go back to bed."

She couldn't say if he believed her or not, but he let it slip, which Jenna was grateful for.

Okay, maybe she wasn't entirely awake when she walked into the bathroom. Maybe she'd had a dream that she'd forgotten completely about but that had affected her sleepy mind one way or another, making her see something that wasn't actually there. It was impossible to imagine that someone could have sneaked past them and written it, and then erased it somehow with both of them standing right there. But crazy as it was, she'd still prefer to think that that was exactly what had happened because the only other option meant that she was probably losing whatever was left of her sanity.

* * *

Jenna stifled a yawn and flipped over the page fighting to stay concentrated on the lines of words. She was camped out at the University Library for almost three hours already, buried in the books and assignments. Her eyes were sandy and her head was buzzing a little but she was oddly determined to get it over with now. Being behind was one of the factors, but not having to carry a stack of books home was what actually held her there.

She liked the libraries for some reason, the smell of books, and leather, and wood, and the tranquility of the reading halls. Especially this one, with the maze of tall book-shelves and huge floor-to-ceiling windows leading to the small courtyard with several marble benches and a fountain in the middle. Plus, it was practically empty now, save for a couple of other grad students Jenna spotted when she walked in. And, basically, all she could hear all this time was the ticking on the clock and rustle of turning pages. Her own determination to finish as many of her tasks as possible was kind of surprising but she decided to go on with it for as long as it lasted.

Yet, she was definitely getting tired, which became obvious when she caught herself re-reading one and the same line for five times in a row without actually understanding what it was saying. She screwed her eyes tight for a few seconds and pinched the bridge of her nose letting out a long exasperated sigh. Opened them again and looked longingly at the now empty plastic cup wondering if she was up to going for some more coffee or finishing the chapter she was struggling through first. Coffee sounded like a brilliant idea although finishing the chapter would probably give her some inner satisfaction. She had already had a stack of paper filled with her notes, which she knew would take her a while to sort out. But she wasn't done yet, so—

It was her phone that started vibrating on the table making her all but jump in her seat that made the choice for her in the end.

Not wanting to disturb anyone, Jenna grabbed it and headed hastily for the exit, having that very goofy expression she normally had when the caller ID read _Ric_.

"Hey," she breathed out slipping out into the cool corridor and closing the door behind her back. Knew she was probably glowing and grinning like a fool too, but decided not to give a damn. To hell with her face that was going to crack from smiling any moment. Who cared?

"_Thought I'd check on you_," Alaric said, and she could hear a smile in his voice.

"As in, did anything creepy happen?" She joked as she leaned her back against the wall.

"_As in, you've been awfully quiet all morning_," he said softly. "_And I don't always know if it's a good or bad sign_."

"I've been trying hard to do something useful for a change," Jenna informed him proudly. "That's why I'm stuck in the library and buried under the piles of books for another couple of hours."

"_Sounds exciting_," he admitted, chuckling.

"You have no idea," Jenna studied the stone floor smoothed and polished by thousands of feet over the years. "And that's exactly why I am going to go all wild afterwards and come to your school and kidnap a couple of your students."

He made a sound that she interpreted as amused snort. "_Is that a part of your taking over the world plan?_"

"No, it's more like a part of a quality girls' time plan."

"_Oh… I thought you were kidding_."

"About kidnapping? Never!" She let out short laugh. "If you see Elena, tell her I'm going to be there some time around four, would you?"

"_Big plans?_"

"Shopping, movies, the usual," Jenna pushed herself away from the wall and strolled slowly down the corridor.

"_Ouch!_" She could practically see him flinch.

"Yeah, you wouldn't want to be caught up in this," she giggled. "What about you, Mr. Saltzman? What are you up to?"

"_Football practice_." He must have stepped into the class or some other quiet place because the background noise on his end of the line faded slightly. "_Nothing as exciting_." He paused. "_I, um… I thought you were going to come over and stay tonight_."

"I will," Jenna smiled. His awkward uncertainty was making her feel warm all over. "Aside from shoes, bags and stressing out my credit card in general, I've got some other plans that are going to require your active participation."

"_Oh, well, that—that changes everything_." She felt him smile, too. "_Look, I've got to—_"

"Sure, I'm—I'll see you later, Ric."

"_See you later_."

With a contemplative smile still playing on her lips, Jenna made the rest of the way up to the vending machines in the hall, the sound of her heels on the granite floor echoing in every corner of the nearly empty building. The part of the campus mainly occupied by grads was practically dead, which, of course, would change once the midterm started.

Jenna fished a few coins from the pocket of her pants and dropped them into the vending machine one after another promising herself she'd get some real coffee as soon as she got out of here while she waited for the styrofoam cup to fill with what was as close to coffee as Fanta was to the fresh orange juice. Yet, it seemed to be working as decent fuel for now so she decided to pretend it wasn't _that_ bad. Her other option was to have a ten-minute walk to the student café on the other side of campus – and also meant she could grab a slice of pizza, too – but in the end she decided not to waste her time lest she lose her buzz.

Okay, Jenna decided, she'd go through a few more chapters, and then call it a day. Before her mind actually melted, which wouldn't do any good to her thesis in any case. And boy, she was so going for these killer pumps she saw the other day in that new store, even if her credit card would need a serious rehab after that. They were so worth it!

Smiling to herself, she stopped by one of the tall windows and looked outside at the park that the front entrance was facing. The sun was shining high in the clear blue sky today and the wind was playing lazily with the bright-colored trees and fallen leaves chasing the latter down the alleys. It looked like everything was trying to sip in as much of that warmth as possible. She knew it was deceptive though, and that in reality the air was cool and the wind was chilly, making one want to wrap the jacket tight round their body and bury their nose into the layers of scarf – and that was exactly what these few people she spotted were doing – but hidden inside the cozy warm library, Jenna had to admit that the day was lovely indeed.

She took a small sip of her coffee-wanna-be and let her lips curl into a small half smile when her thoughts drifted back to Alaric against her will and to how he tried to feed her some omelet in the morning when she was fighting oh so hard not to be late for once. And that was probably one of the reasons she assumed that he was the one calling her when her phone started to vibrate again.

"Shouldn't you be running around the field in that gray hoody of yours?" Jenna asked jokingly throwing the empty cup into the trash-bin in the corner. "Ric?" She called when he didn't respond and looked down at the screen. The caller ID was hidden, to her surprise, but the timer was still blinking. "Hello?" Her smile faded and she moved closer to the window in case someone on the other end of the line couldn't hear her because of bad signal. The reception here was weird most of time because of thick stone walls. "Who is it?" But the dead silence told her that whoever was trying to reach her had hung up.

Frowning, she looped her hair around her ear and dialed Alaric's number, that poor imitation of coffee coiling heavily in her stomach, making her regret she'd touched it. He didn't pick up though, which didn't surprise her because the practice probably wasn't over yet and he, in fact, _was_ most likely running around the football field in that gray hoody that she was normally finding hot. Well, under other circumstances at least. And it definitely wasn't he who called her a minute ago, that she was sure of now, and the thought made chill trickle down her spine.

"Okay, fine," Jenna muttered under her breath and looked up… and all back jerked backwards because a huge black crow lowered itself on the naked branch stretched towards the window, folded its enormous wings and cawed loudly, peering at her with its big oily black beads of eyes. It looked too much like the one that she had found butchered not so long ago that it was eerie. But then again there was no shortage of crows around here, so it wasn't that big of a deal. Except that it freaked Jenna out even more than the phone call. "Leave me alone," she said firmly to the crow.

She took another step back, and then turned around and pushed the door to the ladies' restroom that was right behind her, more than eager to avoid the crow's scrutinizing gaze that seemed to be drilling right through her. Walked up to the sink and leaned against it studying absently the smooth white surface as she tried to collect her thoughts together again while deliberately ignoring the leaps of her heart. It was just a crow, for heaven's sake! One of millions, perhaps. And maybe it meant absolutely nothing.

Except that it scared her. There were no creepy phone calls for the last few days, and it was only now that Jenna realized how much better she felt without them. Without jumping every single time she heard her phone coming to life. It felt though like they were letting her get used to it only to start it all over again. The easiness she fought so hard to maintain while trying to pretend she was still having a normal life was gone without a trace. It wasn't over and she knew it. Whoever was doing it, was having a smart game, striking when she was expecting least and making her want to hole up somewhere and never get out.

She took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly as she counted to ten in her mind. Lifted her head up to meet her gaze in the mirror and stared at her confused expression for a while. It was getting old, Jenna thought. And it was getting tiring, too.

A blur of a movement caught her attention making her glance up, and then she froze when she saw someone standing at the door behind her. Well, _someone_ was a bit too vague, perhaps, since it was impossible not to recognize dark mane of perfect hair, pale skin and condescending smile on the coral-red lips.

Isobel.

Jenna whirled around, her breath hitching… and then there was no one. The bathroom appeared to be empty.

"What the…" she glanced around the small room once again.

Her eyes brushed along the dark-green tiled walls. The doors to all three stalls were slightly ajar and there was no sound coming from the inside. Everything looked completely still. No, she was definitely alone, unless Isobel decided to hide in the post-box sized cabinet under the sink. There was no stir of air, no movement. The only sounds she could see now were soft rumble of the ventilation system and the thudding of her heart. But she did see Isobel, didn't she? She couldn't have imagined that—

"That's just great," she muttered. And was it just her or did she actually catch a faint whiff of the expensive perfume hanging in the air – the one she remembered from the time when she'd met Isobel at Ric's. _Yeah, keep believing it, Jenna_.

But what if…

She crossed the distance to the door in two big strides, yanked it open and looked up and down the wide corridor. The sunlight was streaming through huge windows. The flowerpots with palm-like things were placed near the walls between them and the plants were hungrily sipping the sunshine in. Jenna always liked this place because it reminded her of castles and historical movies. It had class, and dignity, and that air of respectability that she was finding comforting.

Not now, though. She wasn't feeling safe in the confines of the building anymore, and the emptiness that she considered to be soothing not ten minutes ago became frightening now. Her gaze went to the window but the tree was empty, and there were no crows outside as far she could see. Yet, the feeling that someone was looking at her, that she wasn't entirely alone, was there, and she hurried back to the reading hall purposefully forcing herself to ignore the uncomfortably loud sound of her heels on the stone floor.

She didn't look back or even around herself as she walked – not wanting to show her uneasiness _in case_ someone was indeed watching her or scared of what she could actually see, Jenna wasn't sure. Her hand wasn't steady when she pulled the heavy door open and stepped inside, and it was only then that she let out the breath she didn't even notice she was holding.

It wasn't even funny, but Jenna couldn't help being relieved to see an elderly librarian sorting out a stack of books at the registration counter, a guy sitting by the window and flipping through something that looked a lot like encyclopedia and a couple of girls in the corner to the right from her scribbling something in their notepads with admirable dedication. Another guy in his mid 30s and with ginger-red hair that Jenna remembered from the Sociology class walked out from behind one of the bookshelves and headed for the counter.

She followed him with her eyes and then shook her head. None of them seemed to so much as bother to acknowledge the fact of her appearance, too lost in their own business. In fact, all of them looked so ordinary and normal that her jumpiness started to seem utterly ridiculous. Her mind shifted instantly to her own unfinished tasks and she cringed inwardly.

"Thanks for killing the mood," Jenna grumbled under her breath, not addressing anyone in particular as she made her way back to her desk.

There was no way she'd be able to focus on social behavior patterns any time soon, and she knew it, so she might as well grab a couple of books to finish her assignment later and head back to Mystic Falls. And if she was lucky enough, she'd probably be able catch a part of the football practice before Elena was free from her indentured servitude – aka Founders Day Committee meeting. Also, it most likely wouldn't hurt to ask Jeremy what excuses he was normally using when he decided to skip doing his home-tasks.

Here's to being a role model, a small voice inside of her head singsoned mischievously but Jenna pushed it away. God knew she wished her own school stuff was all she had to worry about.

Once at her desk, she stashed a folder with her notes into her bag and started sorting out the books, trying not to look around every ten seconds in case Isobel was lurking somewhere behind the bookshelves, which would be a little too close to a full-blown paranoia, and which was exactly what she wanted to avoid. As a matter of fact, the idea of going back now was getting more and more appealing. Jenna smiled to herself at the thought of sitting on the bleachers for half an hour like a proper fangirl and watching Ric play football. Boy, she needed to start thinking about something else for a change!

She put the last book aside deciding she didn't need it, reached for her jacket and froze. A small card was lying there right beneath the book, too distinctive on the red-wood table not to notice it. Delicate floral ornament on the front side made it unmistakably familiar. It looked exactly like the other three that Jenna had seen before.

She swallowed hard past the nauseous feeling rolling in her stomach and reached for it slowly as if expecting it to disappear any moment. The way Isobel disappeared from the bathroom. Okay, fine, she kind of _hoped_ for it because it was just as much as her mind could handle. But it didn't, and her fingers brushed against the rough paper texture. Warily, she picked it up fighting a wish to look around, her hands shaking slightly, and opened it.

Inside, the message was short and simple, and frighteningly familiar, too.

"_Wanna play?"

* * *

_

Alaric saw Damon the moment he opened the door to his class. The vampire was sitting in his chair, his legs crossed at the ankles and resting leisurely on the desk as he was flipping lazily through what Ric assumed was one of the student reports. His brows were drawn together and his lips were moving soundlessly as he was making his way down the page.

"What do I owe the honor?" Alaric snickered, wondering how much sense it would make to point out that Damon wasn't at home. Not much, he decided in the end, and chose not to bother.

He was running a little late after practice because they got slightly caught up before the game next week, and he had a stack of works to check and grade before he could leave, and he would _really_ like to get it over with sooner than later. If this was a social visit, he'd really appreciate it if Damon made it short.

"Your girlfriend over there is stressing out," Damon replied without looking up and poked his thumb indefinitely somewhere to the side. "I'm keeping her a company."

Alaric's smile disappeared instantly as soon as he spotted Jenna standing by the window. She turned when he walked in and gave him a small awkward wave.

"What's going on here?" He asked in alarm, crossing the distance between them. "You okay?" His voice dropped a little as he ran his hand down her arm brushing his fingers lightly against hers, his eyes wandering around her features.

His hair was still damp from the after-practice shower, Jenna noted absently, having to curl her fingers into her palm so as not to reach out and rake it. It was neither time, nor place – nor company, come to think of it. She felt a faint scent of soap coming from him, and something inside of her loosened a little, easing the tension.

"I called him when I couldn't reach you," she said in a low voice, her gaze flickering towards Damon who tried oh so hard to appear disinterested even if they all knew he was catching every word.

"Do you know they are having it all wrong here?" The vampire tapped his finger on the page he was reading.

"They are not first-hand witnesses of the Civil War, Damon," Alaric pointed out. "Well, not all of them at least," he added before turning to look at Jenna again. "What happened?"

She exchanged weird looks with Damon, who let out a small snort, and it was then that Ric finally noticed something lying on one of the front tables. Something he didn't register at first because it was completely irrelevant up till the moment he was sure Jenna was fine. A small white square of paper which he, unfortunately, recognized immediately.

"Again?" He asked, frowning. Picked it up and opened it.

"My life is so exciting," Jenna sneered humorlessly.

He let his gaze run along the words a few times. "How did it happen?"

"I left the reading hall to talk to you," she explained, "and found it when I got back."

"Tell him the fun part," Damon encouraged her, busting his fake indifference.

"What fun part?" Alaric's eyes darted between them warily.

Jenna rubbed her forehead, hesitant. "I think I saw Isobel."

It wasn't entirely unexpected but surprising nonetheless.

"Isobel?" He echoed, feeling slightly lost.

"I don't know, Ric," she ran her fingers through her hair in frustration caused, obviously, by her inability to understand what was going on. "I'm not sure." Looked from Alaric to Damon to Alaric again. "I _think_ I saw her. In the mirror in the bathroom. She was standing behind me, but then I turned around and she was gone. And maybe it was nothing and I didn't see anyone… But a few minutes later I found this," she pointed at the card. "Well, that's… that's it."

"Another fun part," Damon prodded her and turned over the page. "Remember my joke about the cursed faculty position, Ric?" He asked thoughtfully. "It doesn't look like a joke anymore. How much are they paying you to deal with this load of crap, anyway? _Must_ be a lot."

"What?" Alaric ignored his comment entirely as he watched Jenna, not expecting to hear anything good.

"The blood they used to write the message…" she paused to let out a long sigh. "Damon says it's mine." She demonstrated him a small cut on her index finger.

"Yeah, and we had to use your stationery to find it out, hope you don't mind," Damon called out.

Okay, _that_ was probably a little unexpected. "Are you sure?" Alaric gave him a dubious look, his frown deepening. Rational part of him knew that it wasn't entirely impossible since Jenna was kept in that damned dungeon for a while and they had unlimited access to her blood. But the other part, the protective one perhaps, made his stomach twist at the very thought of someone doing this to her. And that other part was definitely winning.

"Yep, I'm the most efficient DNA test in the history of… well, in the history, period. Since I exist longer than any other DNA test," Damon gave him a thousand-watt smile.

* * *

The Grill was packed – the way it usually was at dinner time – but they managed to find a table in the corner and squeeze into two benches on both sides of it, practically saved from being overheard by the endless chatter and laughter coming from the pool tables nearby.

Jenna leaned forward on her forearms studying Damon somewhat apprehensively across the table. "Seriously, what is this thing with the crows, anyway?" She asked.

His brows arched. "Come again?"

"Why crows? Can't you, I don't know, use someone nice? Like… squirrels? Or other cute animals from _Bambi_?"

"Yeah, because you would be totally cool with the cute little deer following you around," Damon snorted. "Besides, Bambi is exclusive Stefan thing, go ask him."

"My point is – why does it have to be so creepy?"

"Because we're the vampires, Jenna, not Easter Bunnies."

"Yeah, that slipped my mind." She flinched, slanting against the back of the bench. "How are they doing it? Even if all of that wasn't real, the crow, Isobel… if they weren't actually there, I still don't get how they are doing it. How are they getting into my head to make me see things?" She chewed on her lower lip.

"Compulsion?" He offered nonchalantly, brows quirked up. "It's as simple as that."

Jenna and Alaric exchanged puzzled looks. "Impossible," Ric shook his head.

"I'm vervained inside out," Jenna reminded Damon. "In fact, I have so much of this stuff inside of me it's a miracle I'm not blooming." she made a funny face as her fingers ran absently along the bracelet that Alaric gave her and that had bits and pieces of dried vervain hidden in the beads. The corners of Ric's mouth tugged up slightly at her wording. And then the thought struck her. "Unless…"

"Unless?" The vampire drawled casually. "I've never tried the steak here. You think it's good?"

"Do you think I could be immune to it?" She asked cautiously, ignoring the stake comment. The words tasted weird in her mouth. "To vervain, I mean. Do you think it's possible it doesn't affect me? Is it even possible at all?"

Ric tensed beside her, waiting for Damon's response.

Intrigued, Damon finally put away the laminated menu he was playing with. "Not that I've ever heard of." Lips puckered, he regarded Jenna thoughtfully, his eyes narrowed and head inclined slightly to his shoulder. "But that's… that's interesting."

So, that's what the guinea pigs normally feel on the laboratory table, flashed through her mind.

The waitress brought their drinks.

"Well, there is only one way to find out." Jenna shrugged, her voice bearing more determination than she was actually feeling. She made a theatrical pause, then leaned forward again. "Compel me."

"What?" Damon blinked.

"What?" Alaric whipped his head to stare incredulously at her. "Jenna, I don't think—"

She turned and looked somewhat desperately at him. "Look, I—I have to know. If that's the case—"

"Then you're screwed," Damon prompted helpfully.

"Thank you!" She called back without looking at him.

Ric opened his mouth not seeming particularly thrilled with the idea, but then heaved a long sigh and closed it again, shaking his head with disapproval. To be honest, she wasn't that excited either, especially assuming it was Damon she was asking to do it, and even though he was Alaric's friend – in Damon's understanding of _friend_, she still had doubts about it going smooth as long as he was concerned if only because he had _trouble_ written all over him, like – always!

Jenna turned to Damon then and scolded him. "And you… if it works and you make me so something dirty, you're so going to regret you didn't die 145 years ago."

Which made Alaric let out a soft chuckle that he attempted to mask by clearing his throat and pretending to be suddenly interested in the colorful coaster beneath the glass with his drink. He did spare Damon a warning look though, and Jenna felt his hand land of the small of her back, which she knew was more an automatic gesture rather than conscious, but it made her feel slightly better about the plan that screamed _Stupid_.

"Charming," Damon drawled, his lips forming into a sly grin as he leaned slightly close to her, too. This very moment he looked like a little boy who got locked in the candy shop, and she was half a step away from changing her mind about the whole idea. "This is going to be interesting."

Yet, she took a deep breath and let go.

Jenna could practically feel the warmth of his touch like it was physical as she stared into his ice-pale aquamarine eyes noticing despite herself every detail of the intricate texture of his irises. She barely registered that his pupils widened slowly making his eyes practically black and leaving only a thin rim of pale blue on the edge. The moment when the noise and bursts of laughter that were filling he bar moved to the periphery of her attention and then disappeared altogether went past her but, oddly, she couldn't care less. Absently, she felt herself being pulled somewhere, her mind getting strangely blank and foggy. It was like being surrounded by soft warm clouds. Well, it felt weird but probably good kind of weird. Except that her entire world was now focused on Damon Salvatore but for some reason Jenna found herself being pretty much okay with it.

Damon leaned even closer to her bringing their eyes to the same level.

"So, Jenna," he started in a low soothing voice that seemed to warp around her like a blanket, "why don't you dump your boring history teacher here and run away with me to… I don't know, Brazil?"

She gave the words time to sink in, and then suddenly this bubble around her burst as if someone pierced it with a needle. Still staring into Damon's eyes, Jenna blinked shaking it off completely. "This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

"Yeah, me too!" Alaric straightened up in his seat glaring daggers at the vampire, probably wanting to burn him down to ashes, and obviously fuming.

"Ouch!"

"I knew it would end like that," Jenna breathed out, nodding to herself, and regarded the vampire darkly, too. "Seriously?"

"Well, news flash – it didn't work," Damon beamed, not at all taken aback by Ric's heavy _"What the hell was that?" _gaze. He fixed his eyes on Jenna then. "You're definitely not immune to vervain. For better or for worse."

"What if it _did_ work?" Alaric asked angrily. His whole body went rigid – without surprise or outrage he couldn't tell. Well, no, not surprise. Somewhere in the back of his mind he'd been expecting something like that, perhaps. Yet, a part of him was somewhat shocked nonetheless.

"Then, I guess, we would all have to reconsider our summer plans," Damon shrugged nonchalantly, more to annoy both of them than anything.

Ric pinched the bridge of his nose and then let out a _God help us all_ sigh. In any other situation he would have probably found it amusing. Now though... well, if it did work after all, he'd find a stake and make a nice canapé of Damon Salvatore.

"I should have known better than that," Jenna muttered, shaking her head.

"Is that the disappointment I'm hearing?" Damon mocked.

"Don't flatter yourself," she returned in the same voice.

"What do we do now?" Alaric turned to Damon, too.

"Um, guys, I don't want to question your words," Jenna asked before Damon even opened his mouth – not that he had the answer – and looked at them in turns, "but are you sure Logan is… dead?" They regarded her with confusion. "It's just—something is so wrong about this whole situation that I'm ready to believe anything already."

"Nope, he is definitely out of the picture," Damon shook his head and tapped his fingers impatiently on the table. There was no was that the corpse he saw when Liz called him that night could have walked away. His phone let out a string of shrills. He fished it out of the pocket and read the message. "Duty calls," he lightened up. "Looks like we have another client." And added in response to puzzled looks. "Someone's dead. Guess how?"

Jenna blinked. No, she was not going to get used to it. Ever.

Alaric looked at her. "You okay?" She nodded. "Do you want me to take you home?" He asked, his hand moving back and forth across the small of her back.

"No, I'll stay with you," she shook her head.

"What about quality girls' time?"

"I'm too much of a party killer right now." Jenna flinched, frustrated. "Elena and the gang are better off without me right now. Besides, I'm sure they are going to lock me in the bathroom before I know it so that I wouldn't be ruining the mood."

"Alright," he smiled and reached to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Get a room," Damon rolled his eyes and stood up. "I'm going to talk to Sheriff Forbes and see if she has any news. And you two," he looked at them in turns, then rolled his eyes again, obviously giving up. "Stay out of trouble."

* * *

"_June 23, 1864, Mystic Falls_

_They are getting smarter and a lot more dangerous. Council doesn't want to believe that but I am certain that the daylight is no longer as safe as we used to think. I can understand them. The truth like that shatters everything that forms our existence but even though I have no proof that they can walk among us, I know that they do. I can feel it, sense it. There is no other explanation of how they know us so well. Only being close and communicating with us can give them that. _

_Unfortunately, we are helpless. And recent attacks – so bold and almost taunting – have set panic amongst the townsfolk. I am not ready to give up though. There should be a way to detect the demons of the dark in their human form, and I will find it. I keep it a secret for now, but there is hope. I am determined to find a way to create a device that would help us see their true faces. I will find a way and I will prove that I am right-_"

Jenna turned the page over carefully and reached for her mug only to find out with disappointment that it was empty. She looked over her shoulder. Yeah, so was the pot. On a sigh, she got up and strolled into the kitchen, her bare feet making no sound on the cold tiled floor of the cooking area. She looped her hair around her ears and found a jar of grinded coffee in the cabinet, hoping Alaric wouldn't mind her consuming most of his supplies in just a few days. Well, nights. Filled the coffee machine then and pressed the Turn On button, making a mental note to grab some coffee the next time she stopped by the grocery store.

She yawned, unable to help it, and glanced lazily around herself, her thoughts reeling. "_Wanna play?"_ – the exact same message she saw before, or sort of saw. Whatever. Was it a coincidence? A foreboding? Or something bigger than that? A true message for her to… what? God, she was _so_ going to go crazy long before she had answers to all these questions, Jenna thought sourly. She wasn't even sure it wasn't a figment of her imagination to begin with. For all she knew, her whole life could be nothing but a twisted dream.

Yeah, that was probably one of the side effects of the excessive consumption of coffee.

Meanwhile, Alaric woke up, disturbed by her absence. Blindly, he reached out for the warmth of her form and then forced his eyes open when he found the other half of the bed empty.

"Jenna?" He lifted his head assuming for the barest of moments that she could have left, before catching a thin strip of light beneath the bedroom door. On a sigh he climbed out of the bed and headed out, rubbing the sleepiness out of his eyes as he walked, led by the sounds of life coming from the kitchen.

She was standing by the counter, her back turned to him, dressed in one of his long button-up shirts and tapping her fingers on the smooth plastic surface as she waited. Thick smell of fresh coffee hung in the air, and the coffee machine beeped quietly just as he stepped into the pool of light. Smiling, Alaric came up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. For a moment, he buried his face in a soft mass of her hair breathing in sweet scent of her lime and strawberry shampoo mixed with something that was purely Jenna.

Recently, the need to touch her, hold her, feel her became almost overwhelming as if the warmth of hers was the only thing holding his world together. As if he was scared that if he let her go for too long, she might simply disappear like a dream at the break of dawn. As if something could take her away from him.

Ric pressed his lips to a tender spot at the curve of her neck.

Jenna giggled. "Hey, it tickles."

He let out a soft throaty sound against her skin, and she felt his body vibrate behind her back with suppressed laughter.

"What are you doing up?"

Jenna put the mug down onto the counter. "If I spill this on your shirt, you will have no one to blame for it but yourself. You know it, right?"

He chuckled. "Screw it."

"My coffee or your shirt?" She specified sagging against him, her brows arched.

"Either. Both." Ric bent to kiss her shoulder, his voice hoarse and sleep-affected. He threw a curious glance at the table and looked quizzically down at her. "What's going on here?"

Jenna followed his gaze. "I got a little caught up with some stuff," she explained after a short hesitation. Freed herself from his grasp and finally filled her mug. "You sure you don't want some?" She asked before taking a small sip so as not to scald her tongue.

Alaric shook his head letting out a small subtle sigh and studied her camp once again not quite pleased to find the Gilbert journal among her psychology books, as well as his research folder with the stuff he collected about the vampires. And Isobel. His brows furrowed at the sight of the latter. It wasn't a big deal, not really, but for some reason he didn't feel all that comfortable with Jenna going through his personal notes. Okay, they were somewhat relevant now and her curiosity was understandable, but all this stuff still belonged to the part of his life he didn't want her to get involved in. Not to mention they were a little… private, regardless of how close and open they were with each other.

But it wasn't what bothered him most now. The problem was that this whole situation hit a little too close to home causing a weird feeling of déjà vu and stirring the things he preferred to keep locked in the far corner of his mind.

Alaric pinched the bridge of his nose, his gaze traveled along the open books and other stuff once again. "Why don't you tell me what is this all about?"

"I don't understand—"

"Baby, every time I wake up at night, here or at your place, you're somewhere else, reading, or studying, or… drinking coffee." He looked helplessly at her. "It's not like I'm complaining but I kind of assumed that sleeping with you meant… well, sleeping _with_ you."

The last part was meant to sound like a joke but an awful amount of truth in it stung making Jenna's smile fade instantly. She walked back to the table and put her mug on the coaster by the open book. "I'm a little behind with my paper," she made a funny face and gave him a small half-smile, probably well-aware that it was too lame for him to buy it.

Ric let out an exasperated sigh, not really up to dancing around it. Yeah, okay, he got it. She had a lot to deal with now. The one thing he didn't want to understand was why she had to exhaust herself in the process. "You really think it's possible not to notice that you function purely on caffeine and never sleep?" He caught her gaze when she looked up for a brief moment before breaking the eye contact again.

"I—it's not true."

"Well, when was the last time you actually slept?" She didn't respond. "Jenna… just—just talk to me. Please."

She took her lower lip between her teeth keeping her eyes down. Should have seen it coming, right? He wasn't blind or stupid, and he definitely deserved better than listening to her half-truths and crappy excuses, if only because he cared enough to notice stuff. Or mainly because she hated lies, almost as much as being a total mess and having to acknowledge it.

Jenna turned to him. "What if it happens again, Ric?" She asked in a voice that came out small and miserable despite her resolve to keep it firm. "I have no control of myself when I black out. What if it happens and I do something? What if I hurt someone?" Restlessly, she ran her hands through her hair and then let them fall down helplessly. "What if I hurt _you_?" He voice dropped and she shook her head.

"Don't." Alaric caught her by the wrist and pulled her close. "C'mere." His arms wrapped around her form holding her tight. "Stop it, Jenna." He whispered into her hair. "Don't think about it. You're safe with me. I will never let anything happen to you. I will never let anyone hurt you." Ric kissed the top of her head. "Never."

He ran his hand soothingly down her back, feeling that something loosened inside of him when she relaxed into his body, which was just as much as he could do to help her. She was exhausted, obviously. He could feel it and he hated it. Alaric let out a long sigh. He could barely remember the last time she had decent sleep, and it seriously bothered him. It was reminding him of all the nights when she was waking up with a start from the nightmares haunting her, her whole body shaking with suppressed screams. Normally, she refused to talk about it, and he couldn't break through to her when it happened. Almost like now. She didn't want to let him in.

"I'm scared, Ric," Jenna murmured into his chest in a muffled voice.

"I know, baby."

"I'm tired. I feel like I am losing my mind sometimes, and I want it to stop."

"I know." He brushed his lips against her hair again. "But you can't go on like this. You have to sleep, Jenna. It's not right." Yeah, like she didn't know it already. "You only make it worse. You've got to rest."

She shook her head – without determination though. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not," he breathed out.

"I have to deal with it, Ric." On a sigh, Jenna pulled back and walked up to the table to pick up a stack of clippings she'd been through so many times that she practically knew them by heart. Yet, weird as it seemed, it was all useless. She had basically had a whole load of crap. Well, not entirely, but pretty close. "I have to find the connection."

Ric put his arms around her waist and looked at the chaotic mess over her shoulder. "Found anything interesting?" He asked with genuine curiosity, deciding not to push.

Her natural reaction would be to push back, and they'd never get anywhere like that. He had studied the journals already. Most of them at least. None of them seemed to have information they actually needed. Although he did have a tiny piece of hope that maybe Jenna saw something that he didn't.

"A lot," she chuckled. "But nothing helpful, unfortunately." She grimaced. "I've been reading about Jonathon Gilbert's inventions lately. Like that compass thing, or the rings." Jenna leaned back against his chest, encouraging him to tighten his grip on her.

"What about them?" He lifted his hand, with hers lying on top of it, to study the ring in the dim light of the reading lamp.

"Well, nothing," she brushed her fingers along the back of his hand pausing slightly to feel the texture of the ring beneath her fingertips. Even being in contact with his body, it still felt cool against her skin. "But the very idea of them and the fact that he came up with it… it's pretty amazing." She looked up at the outline of his profile. "It's good to know you're safe."

Alaric smiled crookedly. "Only from some badass supernatural forces," he grimaced. "Paper cuts are still all mine."

Jenna smiled before falling into silence for a while. "Did you forgive her?"

The question surprised him but she didn't need to specify for him to guess who she was asking about. They didn't talk much about Isobel. Jenna never was hostile or avoiding, no. On contrary, she showed surprising support and understanding every single time the topic came up. But she definitely didn't feel comfortable about it, no matter how hard she tried to mask it. And he honestly couldn't remember her initiating any conversation about his vampire ex before. Yet, he wasn't completely oblivious to the fact that she gave the matter a thought or two but he didn't want to make it worse, so he never asked, preferring to deal with his past without dragging her into the mess.

Alaric took his time to choose the words carefully, feeling like he was walking on thin ice. "I don't know," he admitted in the end. "You don't really forgive something like that. It's more like you learn to live with it one way or another." Slowly, she nodded after a short pause. "Look, Jenna, whatever I feel about Isobel and regardless of what we had in the past, it doesn't change the way I feel about you," Ric said quietly then.

"I know," she looked up again, smiling softly.

He kissed her temple. "Can we go to sleep now? I know all this stuff is damn exciting, but can it wait till… I don't know, daylight?"

"Are you trying to small-talk me into sleeping?" Jenna narrowed her eyes regarding him suspiciously.

"Does it work?" He asked hopefully.

"Maybe," she laughed. "Okay, um…" She looked down again for a moment. "You go, I'll be there in a couple of minutes."

"No." Old trick. Alaric saw a sign a battle on her face. He sighed. "Okay, you want to know what's going on. Fine, I get it. Will we go to sleep if I tell you?"

"And you know, huh?" Jenna turned to look him fully in the face, her brows quirked up.

"Sure."

The tone of his voice and his expression did not imply he knew a thing but her curiosity piqued, and she was willing to play along. "Really?"

"Of course." Smiling, Ric reached out to run his fingers through her hair, framing her face. "Someone likes you very much because of how beautiful you are." His eyes wandered around her features. "That's usually what the whole stalking thing is about, isn't it? And I can almost understand it, you know." He stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers. "Minus the crazy psycho part." Made a funny face making her break into a grin before leaning down then to plant a kiss on Jenna's forehead.

"And if it's a _she_?"

"If it's a she… then she is dead jealous." Alaric brushed his lips lightly against hers.

"You can't be serious even for a moment, can you?"

"Oh, I am," he assured her. "But you keep talking and distracting me from… being serious." He slanted in for another kiss.

"I am having these dreams again," Jenna said quietly when he pulled back to lean his forehead against hers. "About my sister's grave. And there is always so much blood." The memory made her shiver. "I don't know what's wrong with them but they feel so bad."

"They are just dreams." Ric whispered wearily. They'd done it before, so many times. "And they are not even yours, to begin with. Don't let them do this to you."

"I just want it to stop," she sighed desperately. Looked up to meet his eyes for a moment before wrapping her arms around him seeking for whatever comfort he could give, as if he could shield her even from herself. "Please, make it stop."

…She did fall asleep eventually, leaving Alaric one on one with his own restless thoughts. He propped himself on the elbow and trailed his fingertips down her cheek. A gesture he couldn't hold back. Her breath was deep and even, and her sleep was dreamless, apparently. He liked watching her sleep, Ric thought. Liked how peaceful she looked and how perfectly her body was fitting against his.

In the end, he sighed, kissed her shoulder and put his arm protectively around her waist, tugging Jenna close against his form. Instantly, she found his hand with hers in her sleep and linked their fingers, holding tight. She'd been doing it a lot lately, without even realizing it, he could bet. As if she needed to be sure he was always there. The vulnerability of the touch broke his heart and made him smile at the same time. They had a nice thing going on, which seemed almost unbelievable sometimes. And even though Alaric wasn't particularly fond of what was going on with Jenna, he couldn't help enjoying the closeness they'd developed lately.

He liked having her around. Liked the way she was making him feel so alive, and safe, and wanted again. He liked making love to her and waking up next to her in the morning. Mindless bar flirting aside, Jenna was the first woman he'd been with after Isobel. Not that it mattered though. It had never been just about the physical part, although it probably touched and pulled some strings too – if only because she changed things, gave him hope, made him believe again. It was frightening and exciting, and he didn't want it to stop.

And he was scared as hell of what was going on with her. Of the things he couldn't help her with. And he was even more scared of not being able to do anything, of being helpless. Not to mention that the unfairness of the situation was just beyond him. What did she do to deserve all of this? Hadn't they both had enough already?

If Damon was right, it would be kind of ironic if at some point he would have to protect the woman of his present from the woman of his past, Ric thought ruefully. He sighed, letting his eyes drift close at least, lulled by the monotonous sound of her deep breath. Well, one thing he was certain about – he had never been more serious in his entire life than when he said he'd never let anything happen to Jenna.

_~And I will walk on water _

_And you will catch me if I fall _

_And I will get lost into your eyes _

_And I know everything will be alright_

"_Storm" by Lifehouse~

* * *

_

The shrill of the bell announced the end of the first period, and Alaric was _that_ close to actually heaving a sigh of relief alongside with eighteen of his students. God, he needed coffee – like really! Even that thing from the cafeteria would probably work at this point. He wasn't quite up for a small talk he'd have to endure in the teachers' room where the quality coffee could be found. Which was a crash of all his standards, perhaps, but he couldn't quite care any less right now. All he needed was to keep operating somehow.

"Chapters eleven and twelve," he called back after the students that didn't hesitate to start filing out of the class. "They will be in the test. Special points to those of you who will at least know what the book looks like," he added gaining a couple of snickers, and then finally sank into his chair reaching for the journal to mark the topics they'd covered before he actually fell asleep or something.

And then jerked his head up when a shadow fell across the paper to find Elena standing by the desk. The rest of her class was gone already. His gaze flickered towards the door for a moment to make sure no one was there.

"Elena?"

"Hey," she smiled, if a little uncertainly.

"Is everything okay?" Alaric asked cautiously, as if expecting… well, he wasn't expecting any good news lately, period. It was probably getting quite ridiculous, and he kicked himself mentally.

"Yeah, except for the test part," she flinched.

"Sorry about that," he let out a small chuckle.

"It's okay," Elena tucked her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. "Um, look, Jer and I—we're cool with you and Jenna." Which kinda wasn't news, so she went on, "But could you at least ask her to pick up her phone every now and then when she stays over at your place?"

Alaric blinked. It was hard for him to process any information now, leave alone something that confusing. "What are you talking about?"

"Jenna's professor – or thesis advisor, I'm a little lost here – called this morning. He said he couldn't reach her on mobile. Apparently, she wasn't picking up and he decided to try the landline instead. I couldn't help him much, unfortunately. He asked to ask her to call him back. So if you could just—"

"Wait, wait," he put his hand up interrupting her, his insides twitching uncomfortably as Elena's words were slowly making their way into his mind. "When did this happen?"

Elena frowned a little, too. "Right before I left for school," she said carefully.

"But that's impossible. Jenna left early. She should've been back home by then."

**To be continued…

* * *

**

Typos and other mistakes are all mine, please ignore them :) And remember – I love reviews, and they are always highly appreciated!

Thank you for reading!

Side note - yes, I am obsessed with Lifehouse, deal with it! :)))


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's note:** to make it short, I honestly planned to finish the story during this horrible never-ending hellatus. My muse decided it was a bad idea, however. Also, chapter 15 was supposed to be the last one, but when I reached 9K words and was only around the middle of what I planned to write, it became clear that it wasn't working :) Sorry, guys, you will have to bear with me for a little while longer :)

Thanks again for your patience, understanding and interest, they are really appreciated :)

Hope everyone is excited about the return of the show this week!

* * *

**Chapter 15**

"What?" Elena stiffened. It wasn't like she didn't hear or understand him. No, it was more like she didn't want to believe it, hoping with all her will that it was some sort of a very big mistake. Also, she wished she wasn't that good at reading the faces too, so that there could be this tiny possibility.

"She should've been back long before you had to leave," Alaric said, obviously fighting hard to hold his panic at bay and keep thinking past it. He picked up his phone from the table, found Jenna's number and hit the dial button – all within one second, and yet feeling that the time couldn't crawl any slower. Looked up at Elena then, "Did you try calling her?"

"Yes, sure, but her phone goes straight to the voicemail." She gave her own phone a helpless look. "I was sure she was with you, and didn't think it was a big deal. I mean she's been staying over a lot lately, and I…"

"Damn it!" He disconnected. "Voice mail," breathed out with a mixture of anxiety and annoyance, where anxiety was winning. _Think, just think. Maybe she… stopped somewhere, got distracted. Maybe her phone is dead._ Ric jerked his head up again. "Try the land line," he urged Elena, grasping at straws. "Call home."

For a moment, Elena's face lit up with hope. Yeah, she was all up for grasping at straws as well. "Right," she mumbled and pressed a combination of numbers hastily, and then all but held her breath listening to the rings of the other end of the line, thinking that her heart might be thudding loud enough for her to miss Jenna picking up. Because she had to pick up, right? Except that… except that she didn't. Elena's shoulders slugged in defeat after a few seconds and she let out a long breath. "It switched to the answering machine," she explained.

_Bloody hell! _

Alaric tried her mobile again, then tossed his phone to the table and ran his hands through his hair. Okay, stop it! Stop it before you've lost your mind!

"Do you have any idea where she could be?" He asked Elena, trying to think properly.

"I don't know—" she took a breath. "Look, for all I know, she could have left her mobile in the car and can't hear it now, or she could be in the shower. Or…" she trailed off at the sight of his _So not convinced_ expression, his panic obviously contagious.

"Try the home number again," he asked.

She did, and then shook her head in a few painfully long seconds. "Answering machine."

"Okay," Alaric rubbed his eyes as if it could have helped to clear his mind one way or the other. Shower, phone left in the car – all of that sounded too good to be true, too safe, too… impossible. He wanted so much to believe it, if only for a second. So damn much. He locked his eyes on Elena's again. "I'll go there. And _hopefully_ scare the hell out of her if she is indeed in the shower."

"I'll go with you," she straightened up.

"No," he started, a teacher and an adult in him rising a head to remind her that she had other classes to attend. Except that it didn't really matter, did it? Would _he_ be able to stay behind? "Come on," he nodded curtly, grabbed his phone, and then his jacket, and opened the door for Elena.

Oh God, let it be some kind of really, really bad coincidence, he was repeating over and over again in his mind, as if saying it for a million of times was making it actually happen.

"Did Jenna say anything about her plans for today?" Elena asked as they were making their way across the school yard towards Alaric's car at the parking lot for teachers and other school staff. "Maybe she wanted to go somewhere? Do something?"

He gave the question some thorough thinking, trying to recall the events of the morning that started with Jenna stating in a muffled voice that it couldn't have been called morning if the sun wasn't even up yet. Mercifully, he let her hit the snooze once when the alarm set off, but then caught her hand when she reached out to do it for the second time.

"You're so mean," she grumbled sleepily.

"You have no idea," he whispered as he kissed her shoulder, wishing for nothing but to cuddle with her for a few more hours instead of… well, anything else.

After that Jenna had spent some time searching frantically for the pieces of her clothing on the bedroom floor, which Ric found ridiculously adorable, although he kept the comment to himself, not sure she would have appreciated the sentiment when "being so late" – her words, not his – was involved. He, however, couldn't help making a note that she'd never looked better than when she was wearing his shirts anyway. She tried to scold him – she really did – and he appreciated the effort. But then she broke into a smile when he kissed the tip of her nose, which Ric appreciated even more.

He made them both some coffee when Jenna declined his breakfast offer saying she'd grab something at home. And then they'd compensated it by kissing for ten minutes standing by her car when he walked her to it, the "being late" part put on hold for a little while.

But that was it.

"No, not that I remember," Alaric shook his head and slipped into the car. "I figured it was a school day and she had some plans at the university later, but we didn't talk about it." He fought to recall any other details. "We decided she'd call me during lunch, and that I'd come over to your place for movies and dinner tonight. Buckle up," he told Elena as he revved out of his parking spot and sped towards the Gilberts' residence.

It was the adrenaline that cleared his mind all of a sudden making Ric's senses sharpen by the second. Making him actually start thinking straight – or, well, the closest to "straight" he was capable of. Or maybe it was just the fact that the very idea of something bad happening to Jenna was just too big and too unbelievable that he simply couldn't wrap his mind around it, making it slightly less real. He didn't want to believe it, and at this point simply couldn't – if only because he'd probably go crazy if he did.

Yet, he was driving fast, probably much faster than it was allowed – that was something he couldn't help – and the tires of his car squealed against the asphalt when he hit the brakes near Elena's house. Without saying a word, both of them leaped out and rushed towards the porch. Once at the door, she fiddled briefly with the keys, her hands shaking slightly in a hurry.

"Jenna?" Elena called out as soon as they were inside. She waited for the barest of moments for a respond, and then bolted upstairs. "Jenna, are you here?"

"Jenna!" Alaric marched to the kitchen. His heart was pounding and the silence was pressing on his ears. The fear that he somehow managed to push aside on their way here clenched his stomach. He walked up to the patio door and tried it. It was locked.

Moments later, Elena scattered downstairs. She was breathing hard, her face pale and her expression telling him everything her needed to know. Needed but didn't want to, feel the difference. The house, without a doubt, was empty. Had Jenna been here, she'd come out the moment they stepped inside. The noise the two of them caused would easily wake up even someone comatose. He did shake his head all the same in respond to her silent question, his insides coiling into a knot as the truth was slowly sinking in, what with him fighting it so hard.

Elena's shoulders sagged, and Alaric could practically feel the panic building up in her and spearing slowly to pull him into its suffocating grip as well. As if his own wasn't enough.

She exhaled soundly and looked around the kitchen. "Everything is exactly the way Jer and I left it," she said as her gaze slid along the counters, taking in two coffee mugs left by the sink, the morning news-paper on the kitchen island and a bread basket that none of them bothered to cover with the lid or towel. Whatever hope she had left on the ride had started to fade rapidly. "Doesn't look like she'd been here this morning," she all but chocked out, her eyes locking on Alaric's as she searched for support and reassurance she knew he couldn't offer. "And her car wasn't in the drive way when we arrived," she added if a little belatedly.

"Oh god," Ric scrubbed his hands over his face.

It was the very situation he feared most, the one he hoped he'd never find himself in. Looking at Jenna falling apart was heartbreaking, having to chase her demons away was hard, but this… now that he didn't know what happened to her and where she was… this was a thousand times worse. Christ, she could have been anywhere, as in – _anywhere_! And it was just as bad as the situation could possibly get, or at least he couldn't imagine it getting any worse than that.

Well, okay, that wasn't entirely true. To be fair, his imagination was pretty vivid at the moment, maybe even to the level Ric didn't want it to be, but it still was bad. Really, really bad.

Yet, it wasn't the time to dwell on it. It had been a while already. Whatever had happened, it happened hours ago and God knew how much trouble she could have been in by now. He needed to find her. He needed to find her fast and make sure she was okay.

And to do that, he had to act.

Alaric found his phone in the pocket of his jacket, searched the phone book and hit the dial button, all under Elena's unblinking stare. She didn't say a word though, only watched him with her huge scared eyes.

"Damon," he all but breathed out with relief when the vampire picked up after the third ring. For a brief moment of panic there, he honestly feared that the phones were completely against him today. Like bad karma, only worse.

"_And hello to you, too!_" Damon drawled on the other end of the line. Obviously, he wanted to add something else, but Ric cut him off.

"Isobel—is she still living in that house she barged in when she'd arrived?" He asked impatiently.

"_Well, yeah, as far as I—_"

"Thanks," Alaric shoved the phone to Elena on, "Fill him in," before sprinting out of the house.

"Hey, wait!" She started after him but he was gone before she could blink, the door slamming loudly behind his back making the first floor windows rattle. Moments later she heard his car start, and the tires screeched again when he took off. "Great."

"_Is anyone still there?_" Damon demanded in annoyed voice that reached Elena's ears at some point. For a brief moment she completely forgot about still holding Alaric's phone in her hand.

"Damon," she said if a little distractedly, her glance swiping the kitchen once again before locking on the front door as she debated following Ric… somehow. "It's me."

"_What the hell is going on?_" He asked, all charm.

_Yeah, good question_, Elena thought sourly.

"It's Jenna," she said in the end, and it was enough for tense silence to settle. Her mind browsed feverishly through the options, until she remembered that she came here with Ric and that her car was still at school. After that it took her a moment to make a decision. "Can you pick me up?"

* * *

"Why are you doing this, again?" John asked, tired and annoyed by always getting vague half-answers. "You've got the device, it's going to be done at the parade. Why are you still here?"

"Do you want me gone?" Isobel wondered in mock disbelief, as if the assumption was insulting.

He knew it wasn't though. "It's not what I'm asking, and you know it." He put the glass onto the coffee table and got up. "Are you serious about getting Alaric turned?"

"You sound surprised." It was rather a statement than the question.

"It was you who left him," John said, as if she needed to be reminded of that little fact.

"I made a mistake," Isobel shrugged. "It's never too late to make it right. Forever can be lonely if you're alone, and Ric… we'd be good."

John shook his head. "Then why don't you just do it? Why don't you turn him and get it over with?"

"Because I want it to be his decision, not mine. And he'll get there, believe me. It may take time, but sooner or later he'll get there, and he will understand."

"Is that what you've been thinking these past two years?" He all but snickered.

"One of the things," she admitted. "You know what? Forever is so overrated."…

…Yes, he probably did break all traffic rules existing in Mystic Falls on his way across the town and towards the suburbs in the Western part of Mystic Falls to visit the very same house he'd already been to a while ago.

Damon explained the scheme to him once. Even the vampires liked their comfort, sometimes to a ridiculous level. Maybe it was immortality thing, Ric couldn't figure. Well, in that case, the property confiscated by banks for mortgage debts was a perfect solution. First of all, in most cases these were good, new and reasonably luxurious houses equipped with anything a person could possibly need and wish for. Second of all, finding new owner wasn't a fast and easy process. In some cases, paperwork took months, and all this time the property stayed locked and useless. And what was the most important, it was a bit too high maintenance for homeless or squatters that preferred not to get in trouble with it. Vampires, however, found it perfect.

Not that it mattered now, of course. All Alaric could think of was that if Damon was right about Isobel being involved in all of this from the start, and that if she had so much as touched Jenna… okay, he didn't know what exactly he was going to do if only because he couldn't quite think properly. It was still hard to process it, for one reason or the other. But how could she-?

How on earth could he let Jenna out of his sight with all that crap that was going on around her? Stupid, stupid, stupid! God, what was he thinking, again?

His fingers flexed on the steering wheel as stepped on the gas increasing the speed until his car was practically flying down the interstate road surrounded by fields and woods. His heart was thudding dully against his ribcage as Alaric tried to collect his thoughts together, his essence torn between overwhelming panic mixed with endless fear and growing and boiling rage at himself and whoever could try and stand in his way that very moment.

A few hours! Hell, it had been a few hours already! The thought that it might have very well been too late was pulsing through him causing an almost physical pain, and even though he knew that the helpless fear was the worst kind of fear, he couldn't help it.

His gaze sharpened as he peered intensely at the road ahead of him. If only he could go back in time and kick himself in the ass, and do it right from the start… He hated what-ifs. He hated them so much – if only because they were the most useless thoughts ever, moments in the past that no one could ever go back to and change no matter how hard they tried. After all the years that he'd spent having Isobel as his what-if person, he didn't want to ever go back to thinking about what could have been, blah, blah, blah. But there he was, wondering… what if he didn't let Jenna go? What if he insisted on driving her home? What if….

The memories flashed through his mind. Memories of hearing her laughter. Memories of Jenna cooking breakfast on his kitchen, and of them eating it from one plate sitting crossed-legged in front of each other on the floor in the living room. Memories of fooling around as if they were twelve. Memories that were a distraction and the end of him, they kept him alive and filled him with desperate fear at the same time.

Alaric remembered vaguely that it took him about twenty five minutes to get to the place of Isobel's current residence the previous time. Now it had barely been ten. The tires of his car screeched again when he skidded to a halt practically throwing himself against the dashboard. He couldn't care less though. Half a second later he untangled himself from the safety belt and was out of the car and on his way to the porch, a stake clutched in his hand so tight that he knuckles had gone white – as if this piece of wood was a part of his body.

He crossed the distance to the door in two big swift strides, a part of him ready to break it down if necessary, or claw his way in for that matter. Well, he still didn't have a plan but it wasn't important. He was breathing hard, his heart was pounding like crazy and with the adrenaline coursing through his system, or maybe _because_ of it, Ric was sure he'd most likely be able to destroy the whole place brick by brick if he didn't have any other choice. Yet, when he wiggled the doorknob – out of habit more than actually hoping for anything – it suddenly turned, and the door opened easily.

He paused for a moment, struck by surprise. He could hear the voices coming from somewhere down the hall. It was impossible to make out the words, or even recognize people speaking – in case he knew them at all. He was too far yet, or maybe it was the rush of blood in his ears that made him somewhat deaf. That didn't matter either. He strode in that direction without so much as a second thought, which was endlessly stupid on his part, and a rational part of his mind knew it, but at the same time it was the only thing he could actually do. Mere hesitation seemed like a torturous idea.

Isobel was standing by a huge white piano when he walked in, facing someone who Alaric didn't bother to give a proper look to. She turned to the sound of his footsteps as he didn't bother to make a sneak appearance either, her face surprised.

"Ric?" Her brows went up quizzically. She looked just as calm and composed as she normally did, or at least as she did since she'd become a vampire, for all he knew, but there was a flicker of curiosity of her eyes.

He didn't give much thinking to it though. It felt like his mind shut itself off completely, and he was acting purely on instinct now. He was not a vampire, far from it, and of course he wasn't just as fast and strong as one, but boy, he was fast – for a human. And before any of them knew, Isobel was pinned to the wall with Alaric's arm across her chest holding her there and his stake aimed at her throat, and for a brief moment there he felt twisted satisfaction from knowing that she didn't see it coming. Not that he dwelled on it.

"Where is she?" He asked, somewhat surprised by how steady and firm his voice was.

"Who?" One of Isobel's brows arched elegantly.

"Jenna," he said slowly in a low dangerous voice. "Where is she?"

Her brows went higher. "Now, how would I know?" Her tone remained lazy though, even if it was obvious that her curiosity piqued.

Ric didn't seem to hear her though, if only because it wasn't the answer he wanted and needed to hear. He pressed the tip of the stake slightly deeper into her skin – not hard enough to actually hurt her or do any harm, but enough to make his point clear. He knew that running a stake through her throat wouldn't be fatal, perhaps, but he was fairly sure it would probably hurt like hell. And she knew it, too.

"What did you do to her, Isobel?"

"Hey, buddy, easy there."

Out of the corner of his eye, Alaric noted a blur of a movement to the right from him, and it took him, like, half a second to recognize the voice of John Gilbert. No big surprise here, huh? Although it was just as much as John did. His voice was cautious and half-soothing, as if he was talking to someone mentally deranged, which probably wasn't that far from the truth, but something about Ric kept him from actually coming too close or doing something else. Self-preservation, maybe.

Isobel didn't share the feeling though. "I still don't understand what you're talking about here, Ric." She didn't seem to be merely worried.

Absently, he registered the fact that the first shock was gone but to his astonishment, she didn't so much as moved even though he knew without a doubt that she could easily throw him across the room if she wanted to. She was curious after all, or she was messing with him. Either way, it made a hot-white wave of fury rise inside of him.

"I'm not up to playing your games now, Isobel," he hissed through clenched teeth, his eyes searching her face as if he hoped to see if she was lying or not. It was impossible. "I want you to tell me what you did to her."

Outside, Damon hit the brakes of his car and parked it right in front of Alaric's in such way that would keep Ric blocked until he revved back – just in case he'd decide to pull the stunt again and try to escape or do something else equally stupid. Through the windshield, he regarded the house as of measuring the level of danger and other possibilities. It wasn't Isobel who left him slightly worried. It was Ric and whatever mindless crap he could come up with, and he knew there would be no shortage of it. Had it been about Elena, he'd so be there as well.

On her seat beside him, Elena watched the house too, her brows drawn together.

"Stay here," Damon told her gravelly and pinned her to the seat with his gaze.

"But—" she started to protest.

"I'm serious, Elena. I'm going to go in, find this idiot and haul him out there, it would hardly take long." Hell if he didn't mean it.

She opened her mouth again, threw another quick look at the house over her shoulder. Even reached for the seatbelt to unbuckle it for a moment. But then closed it, and sagged against the back of the seat, folding her arms on the chest and having the exact same expression she always had when she knew he was right but didn't want to accept or admit it. Satisfied, he nodded curtly and slipped out.

"I have no idea what you are talking about!" Isobel rolled her eyes, implying that the very idea was utterly ridiculous. "Why would I want to do anything with your Barbie girlfriend?"

And her matter-of-fact tone was exactly what triggered the outburst of his anger.

"Don't lie to me!" Ric yelled, slamming her into the wall.

It took Damon less than ten seconds to get to them.

"Whoa, Ric," his eyes grew wide when he took in the whole scene. For a moment, his gaze darted disinterestedly towards John but then fixed on Alaric and Isobel almost momentarily again. None of them so much as acknowledged his presence though, both a little too busy to pay attention. "You don't want to ruin this carpet do you?" Yes, that went out against his will, he couldn't help it, really. It was just too tempting.

Ric shot him the quickest of looks but that was it.

"If I wanted her dead, she'd be dead!" Isobel retorted coolly at last and pushed him away effortlessly, and he staggered, fighting to keep his balance, as he kept trying to burn her with his glare.

"My point exactly!" He snapped. "I want you to tell me the truth!"

"I am telling the truth! Like I already told you before that I have nothing to do with this mess around Jenna!"

"Why should I believe you?" Ric asked bitterly, his eyes narrowed, and his voice thick with resentment. "Ever since you came back—" He cut off. "Why did you have to come back at all?"

"I told you already," she noted meaningfully, "and this place is getting too crowded for a conversation like that, don't you think?"

"Where is she?" He repeated, barely holding himself from yelling again.

"I don't know!" She repeated for the umpteenth time. "You don't have to believe me if you don't want to. But then again, why wouldn't you?" She inclined her head slightly to her shoulder.

Ric's fist clenched, his jaw tightened. They were not getting anywhere, and he felt trapped and useless.

"If it was you—"

"Then what?" She tipped her chin and all but snickered. "What's the big deal with the girl, anyway?"

He came close to her again, without getting violent this time, even though his fingers flexed on the stake. One move, just one wrong move— His eyes traveled around her features before fixing on hers again. "I love her, Isobel," Ric said in a firm low voice. "You sure should remember what it means," the words were coated with sarcasm. "If you touched her—"

"I didn't," she cut him off. "For starters, I wouldn't bother."

Alaric ignored her completely. "If you so much as put your finger on her," he went on, "I will hunt you down and drive a stake through her heart, no questions this time." And god help him if he wasn't serious.

Thick silence hung in the air for a very long moment, none of them even moving. It was like a stare game, and whoever was to break the eye contact first would lose.

In the end, Damon stepped forward. "I think that should be our exit, Ric," he said, his voice a little too light for the situation.

Alaric didn't look his way. He gave Isobel another long glare and then marched out of the room, and then out of the house, stake clasped in hand, without so much as sparing Damon or John another glance, feeling like a total wreck and failure.

"Yeah, that's what I meant," Damon drawled following him with his gaze. "Fancy meeting you here, John," added on a beam and then left as well.

"I guess it was a no," he heard John noting in a _I knew it_ voice behind his back, but didn't get what he'd meant.

He caught up with Ric on the porch and grabbed him by the arm making Alaric stop, his eyes piercing him like two ice daggers and his lips pursed tight.

"What the hell was that?" Damon demanded furiously.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw that Elena pushed her passenger door open and climbed out of the car. She didn't make a single move in their direction though, just stood there and watched them intensely, not sure what to make out of the scene.

Ric shook the vampire's hand off of his elbow and returned the glare. "Jenna is gone," he forced out. The words tasted foul and wrong on his tongue, and he all but cringed when they came out of his mouth.

"Well, I got that! But I still don't see how being reckless and suicidal is going to help!"

"She could have known something!" Alaric pointed at the door behind his back, then circled around Damon and headed for his car, more out of need to keep moving one way or another than actually knowing what exactly he was going to do. Stopped when he reached it, and turned. "Hell, I still think she does!"

"And you decided to stomp into the battle swinging a sword above your head?" Damon followed him. "Sorry, _stake_."

"Damn it!" Ric whirled around and smacked the hood with his fist hard enough to make a visible dent. He leaned against in propping himself heavily on his hands as he took one deep breath after another, his head spinning and his mind reeling. For a long moment he concentrated on the faint grey color of the hood, as if his thoughts decided to take a break. Slowly, he straightened up after a little while. "What was I supposed to do?"

"Think?" Damon offered helpfully.

Ric snickered humorlessly. "Right," he shook his head and then looked down the driveway before turning to Damon again. "And when we the last time you were thinking before doing something mindless?"

"Well, your wifey the dearest could have _tried_ to rip my head off, Ric," Damon responded, sounding oddly serious. "Whereas with you, she could have easily _done_ that. See the difference." The vampire ran his hand through his hair. Gave Elena a quick look and then shook his head when her gaze flickered towards Alaric for a moment. Yeah, she had already filled him in on the fun parts of the morning, making Ric's behavior justified and expectable. But even though he could understand him, they all needed to calm down now and start thinking instead of trying to get themselves killed. Even if it was easier, it wasn't quite effective. "This, out there, is not your wife. She could have made a lunch out of you if you posed too much threat with that sharp toy of yours." He nodded towards the stake.

Ric met his eyes again. "If she did anything to Jenna—"

"She said she didn't, and if you don't know any specific way to drag another answer out of her, we have to work with it." Damon cut him off. "Now shake off your hero complex and let's get back to business. Your girlfriend wouldn't appreciate it." Alaric flinched at the wording. "Come on," Damon patted him on the back, "We've got a damsel in distress to save."

"She could be anywhere, Damon." For the first time in the last hour Alaric actually let his fear slip, not bothering to mask it.

"Yeah, but it's not here, and also that's exactly why you should cut down on being stupid."

* * *

The first thing that Jenna realized upon waking up was that her head became at least ten time bigger than it was the last time she'd checked, whenever it was. Also, it was throbbing in that amazing way that was normally making one want to cut it off and end the torture. And that, without a doubt, was her biggest wish right now.

Her mind was hazed and unfocused as she fruitlessly tried to figure out what it was all about. For a moment there she guessed it felt like some sort of a very severe hangover. Except that it didn't make any sense. Well, to be honest, at this point nothing did. What mattered though was her eagerness to kill for some ice and aspirin, and maybe a few more hours of sleep. Oh, boy, she hadn't felt like this ever since that party…

Jenna's train of thought took a turn and disappeared in the mind fog, leaving the memory unfinished. Whatever. She'd think about it later, like when she'd be capable of thinking again, if she survived this hell of a headache, of course. At this point Jenna was starting to believe that death would have been a merciful outcome.

She moaned quietly, but even that sound started fireworks in her head, as if her brain exploded or something. God, whatever she'd been through, it must have been fun, she thought grimly and tried to move, which was challenging, what with that suspicion that somewhere along the way not so long time ago she was run over by the bus, and a few times perhaps. It felt like every single inch of her body hurt, even the places she didn't know could hurt.

Yeah, the very idea of moving was horrifying at this point, and for a little while Jenna simply concentrated on taking one cautious breath after another waiting for the pain to fade. But the more time was passing by, the more obvious it was getting that her limbs were starting to go numb because of her uncomfortable position, which basically left her with no choice.

With her mind concentrated solely on here and now – because thinking about five minutes ago or five minutes later was too much of an effort – Jenna reached for her head, if only to make sure that it wasn't actually the side of a suitcase.

It was only then that she finally registered uncharacteristical cold and odd smell – a mix of dust, old wood and stale air, as if she was in the room that had been locked for a decade or two. Of course no one bothered to warm it up for her comfort. And then it suddenly downed on her – all the memories of the morning events and how she might have ended up here, wherever here was.

She had left Alaric's – after demonstrating him vividly just how much she was going to miss him – a little before seven, wishing she wouldn't have to go. On her way home she stopped by the bakery to get some fresh croissant since they always were out of them, and both Jeremy and Elena loved them better than toasts. The sun wasn't up yet and the air was chilly. With surprising clarity she remembered the way the wind played with her hair, pulling and tossing it, as she walked these twenty feet from her car to the store.

Inside, Jenna took her time to choose the pastry, grabbed a bottle of orange juice and headed out. Vaguely, she recalled someone touching her shoulder and asking if she knew what time it was. She didn't remember turning though, and then everything had gone black – before she woke up here.

_Oh God… _

Slowly, Jenna opened her eyes, which wasn't such a good idea. Even that smallest of movements made her cringe. She tried to turn her head then, which momentarily made opening her eyes the highlight of her day. Sharp pain formed somewhere at the nape of her neck and then shot through her entire body. She heard another soft moan, and this time it took her a while to figure out that it actually came from her.

_What the hell happened to me? _

The idea of having fun at the party wasn't working anymore.

Nausea caused by the pain rolled heavily in her stomach, and all Jenna really wanted was to curl into a ball and stay like that until all of this was over. Sadly, it wasn't an option, and that was why she pushed herself up into a sitting position, doing her best to ignore the fact that the room started to spin and sway around her. They got to her. Whoever it was, they got to her at last. She had to get out of there. Oh, why did her head hurt so much?

She blinked a few times waiting for reality to come into proper focus. The room she found herself in was big but mostly empty, save for a few dark shapes here and there that she assumed were pieces of furniture. The ceiling was high and lost somewhere in the shadows, although she still could see an old chandelier that missed half of its decoration thingies and was coated thickly with dust. The windows were rather big but glassless and boarded from the outside making the sun streaking through holes and cracks between the boards the only source of light. It was barely enough to give her any idea about her surroundings.

The place was run down and abandoned, that she had no problem figuring out, and it didn't look familiar at any rate, which didn't surprise Jenna a bit. What really surprised and discouraged her, however, was the fact that her other hand was cuffed to the cot she was currently sitting on.

"You didn't expect it to be easy, did you?" She breathed out wiggling her wrist without any success. Well, the cuffs were slightly loose. She was no expert but she'd say they weren't her size. Although, much to her dismay, it was impossible to free her wrist without the key. Of course. "Damn it," Jenna muttered, twisting and turning her hand with no result.

She looked around herself again then. Now that her eyes adjusted to semi darkness, the shapes she spotted before turned into a table, a couple of arm-chairs and a stand-lamp, all looking like they had just came from a couple of centuries ago. Her cot, on the other hand, was plain and anything but antique. It had a metal carcass and together with the hand-cuffs it was making her life ten times more exciting.

_Yeah, something it definitely not right with my life_, she thought ruefully.

Needless to say that she didn't find her bag anywhere in close proximity, or something else remotely useful. Unless, of course she chose to gnaw on the cot carcass or chew her arm off. None looked appealing.

Jenna sighed.

The whole place seemed to be quiet, and even though her senses still were a little fuzzy, she didn't hear anything but her own breath as she struggled with her bind, and chirping of the birds outside. She had no idea how long she'd been out, knowing that any of her guessed would probably be wrong in any case. Long enough for the sun to go up, but with the windows boarded, it could mean from half an hour to five.

She wondered if anyone was looking for her, but if whoever brought her here had any brain – and she was pretty sure they did – it wouldn't be an easy task to find her. She doubted they'd left any breadcrumbs, not after all she had a pleasure to experience. For all she knew, she could have very well been somewhere on Alaska.

_Oh, __stop with the pessimism already!_

"Come on," Jenna pleaded in a small voice tugging at her hand again, and wincing at how the metal was digging into her flesh. Had it been any lighter, she was sure she'd see some nasty bruises – her only achievement so far.

"Oh, I see you're up."

The sound made Jenna snap her head up, which sent another wave of dizziness and nausea down her body. Instinctively, she jerked backwards until her back was pressed against the wall and peered into the semi-darkness. She couldn't see her person yet, only the black outline that hadn't been there last time she'd checked. The voice belonged to a female and sounded slightly familiar to her ears, but she couldn't concentrate properly yet to try and figure out who it could belong to.

The only thing that Jenna knew for sure was that she wasn't alone anymore, and that it was bad news.

* * *

They ended up at the Gilberts' house eventually, which proved to be beyond torturous for Alaric in about five minutes, or less. The clock was ticking slowly on the wall, his mind was on fire and all he was capable of was dialing Jenna's number over and over and over again and checking his phone for the new messages, like, every ten seconds. Not because he was actually expecting to hear from her – that was way too optimistic even for him – but more out of need to do _something_ however useless that something was.

Damon settled on the couch in the living room with a bunch of family journals, both Salvatore that they picked at the boarding house and Gilbert ones. He was stiff and tense, but unlike Ric, he kept his eyes on the yellowish pages covered with neat handwriting made in faded ink. Not that they hadn't been through all of them numerous of times but—

Elena camped out at the kitchen table with Damon's "work folder" – the one that contained all the stuff he and Alaric collected on missing people, found bodies, attacks and anything weird that had happened in the area lately, going scrupulously through every page.

They had been through all possible theories but got nowhere so far, which wasn't exactly making Ric feel any better. He felt like a caged animal as he paced back and forth in the living room, thinking and re-thinking and trying to see what he hadn't seen before. Each and every passing second was agonizingly slow.

"You are going to make a hole in the carpet," Damon noted at some point without even looking up.

Ric gave him a glare and swallowed a string of comments. He made two more steps and stopped. "We can't keep sitting here and doing nothing!"

"As opposed to coursing aimlessly around Mystic Falls? She's not going to pop up and jump at you from behind a tree, and you know it."

Alaric scolded him again. Yes, it was true. Yes, he knew that they couldn't do a thing without knowing where to start. Yet, waiting was making just staying there so much harder, and somehow "coursing aimlessly around Mystic Falls" stopped being that bad of an idea quite a while ago. It had already been past lunch time, and yet they were nowhere close to having any clue about what to do next. It was making him want to climb walls or give punches, or both.

The sound of the door open and close in the hall made them all but jump and whirl around, a wave of hope washing through each of them – as if Jenna could just come in as ask in her light bubbly voice of hers what all the grim faces were about, and then laugh at the stupidity of the situation and say something plain and simple as an explanation of not being reachable. After that she'd probably give some hard times to Alaric for starting the panic and making all this fuss in the first place, and he… he'd just hold her.

It wasn't Jenna, of course.

"What's going on?" Jeremy asked cautiously as soon as he spotted them, his eyes shifting from one to another. It took him not more than two seconds to read their faces to know that something was seriously off, his smile dropped momentarily. "What?" He asked again when no one said a word, his voice wary.

Elena exchanged a _"It was inevitable, right?"_ look with Damon.

"You better sit, Jer," she said uncertainly turning to her brother, obviously dragging time.

"What is it?" He demanded, not masking his concern and looking at all of them in turns again.

"Sit," she repeated, and then filled him in when he flopped down onto the chair in front of her.

"But why are you here?" Jeremy exclaimed when she finished. He jumped up. "Why don't you—"

"What?" Damon asked in a lazy voice but not without challenge.

Jeremy faltered. "Well, I don't know—"

"That's the problem," Alaric stepped in, sounding endlessly-tired and world-weary, and not looking any better, too. "We don't have an idea, either."

Jeremy sagged back down onto his chair and ran his fingers through his hair, his mind reeling between options and possibilities, none of which was decent enough to be useful, or even make much sense to begin with.

"But we could—" he started again, his voice desperate, but trailed off and looked helplessly at Elena. Not that she could offer any reassurance…

A few more hours had passed by. November sun started to go down and the shadows kept growing longer. At some point Jeremy claimed some of Elena's papers, out of wish to keep focused one way or another rather than actually hoping to find anything useful in them, and his lips moved soundlessly as he read the pages. Belatedly, Elena remembered to start a pot of coffee, which was more a habit than anything else, but no one so much as touched it. She did pour a mug for herself, but it grew cold and she didn't even notice.

Several times Damon talked to Sheriff Forbes in case they were in the dark about something. He did not mention Jenna once but his question about any bodies drained of blood that had been found recently made them all catch their breathes until he shook his head, all the while feeding Liz some crap lest she suspects anything. Well, it didn't make much sense since Jenna wasn't some random tourist and if there was any information about her, the police would have contacted the family immediately. But they had to try in any case.

And all this time the phones were dead.

"What?" Alaric asked after a while when he noticed Damon frown at something.

"Mm?" The vampire looked up distractedly, then down at the journal again, took his time to snap back to here and now and then shook his head. "No, nothing here," he tossed the journal aside letting it land on the cushions. Got up and stretched. "It's whole load of…" He trailed off and cleared his throat.

"Welcome to my world," Ric muttered darkly. By this time his worry transformed to unbearable pain to dull numbness, which probably was the way his mind chose to cope with the situation before he actually fell apart. "Do you think John could have anything to do with it?"

Both Elena and Jeremy looked up and peered at him, puzzled, and it was only then that it occurred to him that some facts of Jenna's past were not quite a public knowledge, making him cringe inwardly.

"Never mind, just thinking out loud," he mumble, waving it off.

"Hey, you said it's something personal," Elena said all of a sudden, catching Alaric's eyes. "But Jenna had barely been here in the last eight years."

They all turned to her.

Ric stiffen, and Damon also went completely rigid beside him, both looking like the dogs that seemed to catch the track of a fox, except that none had any idea where the said fox go.

"What do you mean?" Jeremy asked.

Elena hesitated, choosing the words, as if the idea hadn't completely formed yet. "Well, she hadn't been that long here, only a few months. And she was mainly hanging out with us."

"So much for a social life," Damon commented but was completely ignored.

"I know she still has some friends from high school that still live here," she moved on meanwhile, "But it's not like they are close, you know. Not after all this time."

"Are you saying it could have something to do with her past?" Alaric asked when her words finally clicked.

She shrugged. "If it's not about your personal stuff, guys, and, well… Isobel, then I don't see why anyone would want to do it to her unless it's an old grudge or something like that." She paused. "Well, it _could_ be some obsessed psycho with nothing logical about him, but—"

Her gaze shifted from Alaric to Damon to Alaric before the two of them looked at each other, practically seeing the light bulbs come to light above their heads.

Oh boy, it was… it was so damn simple that Alaric kicked himself mentally for not thinking about it before! His mind was working feverishly now. If Elena was right – and suddenly the possibility of it was not so crazy – then… then they'd been wasting time and should now be looking somewhere else.

"But she was just a teenager in high school back then," he said all the same, a hint of a doubt refusing to accept the fact yet. Too simple, Ric thought. Too obvious. And yet…

Damon snickered. "Oh please! You _work_ in high school, you know how it is!"

Alaric pursed his lips thoughtfully while processing the new information, and then the idea occurred to him. God, it was grasping at straws, and it was almost desperate but—

"Do you know if Jenna has a year book or something like that?" He asked Elena.

How? How was it even possible that he never thought about it before?

"I'm—I'm not sure," she jumped up hastily. "But most of her stuff is here—let me check!"

She was back in about three minutes carrying a huge book in thick massive cover decorated with a bunch of school photos that Alaric vaguely recalled seeing on the shelf in Jenna's bedroom. It caught his attention once, but then he was distracted by something a little more interesting…

Elena flopped the book down, took her seat again and opened it.

"What are we looking for?" She asked Alaric who came up to her and peered at the first page over her shoulder.

"I have no idea," he said honestly.

Jeremy moved to sit beside her when Elena started to turn the pages slowly, their gazes sliding along the rows of black-and-white photos – _the worst photo of my life_ type for the majority of the year book owners.

Jenna's was on the third page. She was easy to recognize, and Ric felt his lips curve into a small half smile, even despite the bittersweet sadness in his chest. She wore her hair differently, of course, but he spotted her immediately and without so much as a look at the name below the picture. She was grinning, her eyes sparkling with rebellious challenge, which was probably exactly what made her be so familiar with everything detention-related, he thought not without amusement. Naturally, it faded slightly now, but definitely wasn't gone for good – much to his relief. Everything about high-school Jenna screamed _trouble_ and judging by this photo she, without a doubt, was proud of it.

The photo of Logan Fell on the next page, however, was like a bucket of ice-cold water that washed away Ric's sentimental feelings. His brows drew closer momentarily but he held back the annoyance that was ready to spill out knowing that it was meaningless and useless.

"Do you recognize anyone?" He asked Elena instead.

She shook her head. "No." There was no point in mentioning Logan since he didn't pose any danger anymore. She turned over the page and her features softened momentarily. "That's mom," she said with a sad smile pointing at the picture made at some project exposition or something like that.

Miranda's arm was around Jenna's shoulder as they both beamed into the camera standing before… well, before something blurred and confusing. Not that it mattered. They looked… glowing and happy, causing a pang of bitterness in Elena' heart. She took her time to study the photo before turning the page again. Scanned another bunch of pictures made at different events mostly before something caught her eyes and made her freeze and straighten up in her seat. Her eyes glued to a group photo of the football team and cheerleaders' squad standing at the football field near the bleachers, she let her finger trace the line of the names under it.

Alaric stiffened momentarily. "What is it?"

"I'm not sure yet," she mumbled if a little distractedly, looking slightly confused. "But you see here?" She pointed at one of the names. "Melissa Curtis."

Now he was confused, too. Just like the rest of them, come to think of it. Both Damon and Jeremy watched her expectedly. None so much as opened their mouths though.

"So?" Ric prodded. "Do you know her?"

Elena bit her lower lip. "No, but… the name looks familiar." Her frown deepened. "I'm sure I've heard or seen it somewhere recently."

"Maybe on one of the previous pages?" Jeremy supposed.

"No," Alaric shook his head. "She's not there." He studied the girl in red-and-white uniform smiling at him from the image, her dark hair pulled up into a pony-tail and a pair of pompons clutched in her hand. "How is it possible?"

"She was smart enough to miss the photo day?" Damon shrugged.

"She was a cheerleader," Elena explained, ignoring him. "Which means she could have been younger and her class probably had its own year book. But the team photo was a must, and…" she trailed off, thoughtful.

"Okay, so, what is about this chick, again?" Damon leaned between her and Jeremy to study the page.

"Well, nothing, but—" Elena stuttered.

"Is there anything about her?" Alaric asked, not sure what to make of all of that yet.

Elena went back to the student information pages and checked them, twice. "No."

"Wait a sec," Jeremy bolted up and ran upstairs to come back half a minute later with his laptop. "Let's see what we have on her."

He typed her name into the search browser and scrolled down a bunch of pages. Curious, Elena leaned closer to him. He changed the search words, added school name, and then a victorious smile crossed his lips.

"Okay, so…" He leaned closer to the screen. "Born, graduated…" Jeremy mumbled under his breath. "Usual stuff." He scrolled down. "Went to the North Caroline University, has a degree in Psychology… Came back to Mystic Falls after graduation… Well, that's it."

"Is that all there is?" Alaric asked, disappointed.

"She wasn't a celebrity or anything," Jeremy shrugged.

"They've got pretty much ever for a non-celebrity," Damon noted as he came up to stand behind Elena's back. "Shouldn't it be, like, confidential information or something?"

"Looks like there was a reunion a couple of years ago," she explained looking up at him and then at Alaric across the table. "They got some info on everyone who showed up and updated the school web-site."

"It's still pretty much nothing," Ric pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a long exasperated sighed. Fixed his eyes on Elena. "Not without you telling us what is it about her."

"Hey, wait a second, guys," Jeremy called them, growing serious and tense by the second. "Check this out."

"What?" Alaric circled the table so that he could see the screen, too.

"Here, look – _Melissa Curtis was spotted at the Charity Ball, and later at the Historical Society Brunch accompanying New reporter of Mystic Falls Logan Fell_," he read out loud.

They all looked at each other.

"Bingo," Damon drawled.

"You think that's it?" Elena asked after reading the text quickly, and a short gossip article in some local paper that went below.

"Probably," Damon admitted. "When did this happen?" He addressed Jeremy.

"A couple of years ago."

"Can you find anything else about her?" Alaric asked the boy.

"Yeah, maybe. Give me a few minutes."

Ric straightened up. He turned and walked up to the kitchen island, stopped when he reached it as if he forgot suddenly why did he even decide to go there. Restlessly, he ran his fingers through his hair, wanting it believe so much that this was it, and yet scared of hoping because if it was nothing and they were back to square one—

"You really think it's her?" Elena asked again, studying the picture in the year book. "You think she's the one doing all of this?" The question was rhetoric though, she obviously didn't expect anyone to respond.

"It's the closes we've been to… anything," Alaric said all the same, his voice tired and his eyes full of desperation when their gazes locked.

She wanted to add something, to agree or disagree he didn't know, but didn't so much as opened her mouth in the end. When being desperate and grasping at straws, anything was better than nothing, and they all knew it.

"I think I got something," Jeremy said at last making them all turn. "Her family used to have a house right outside the town, one of the founder's mansions or something like that." He typed in something else, opened another page. "The Historical Society made a big fuss about it back in the 50s when the original owner decided to sell it to, well, not historical people. Here's the address."

He scribbled something on the piece of paper and handed it to Alaric. Damon snatched it from him, however, before Ric had time to reach for it.

"Brilliant!" The vampire beamed. "Come on, let's check it out."

Oh, thank god, was the first thought that crossed Ric's mind. And he didn't even know if it was about the hope to finally have a lead on Jenna's whereabouts or the fact that they were going to leave the house at last. He was so going to scream if he had to spend another hour there, sitting and doing nothing, only thinking against his will about some horrible things that could be happening to her meanwhile.

"Yes, let's go." Both Jeremy and Elena go up hastily.

"Oh, no, not you!" Damon reacted immediately.

"What?" Elena snapped and then looked at Ric with disbelief, searching for support perhaps. "But—but it's Jenna!"

"Exactly," Alaric shook his head. "You should stay here. If it's nothing, it wouldn't change anything. If she is there—" he swallowed, realizing for the first time that there was a tiny chance to actually find Jenna. "If she is there, we will have to be thinking about getting her out, not about keeping the two of you safe."

"We can take care of ourselves," Jeremy protested stubbornly.

"Yeah, right," Damon snorted. "Funny." He looked from Elena to Jeremy and back to Elena. "You two stay here."

"But—" she started.

They all span around when the patio door opened, surprised, hoping. Well, it all vanished when Stefan stepped inside.

"Hey—" he trailed off, his smile dropping by the second.

"Where have you been?" Elena made a step towards him. "I called you."

"Yeah, I—" Stefan began, but then observed them all once again, his brows coming together. "What's going on here?"

"Oh, great!" Damon all but beamed. "You are on babysitting duty, little brother." Stefan blinked, making Damon roll his eyes. "Just make sure these two don't leave the house, okay?"

After that, he turned on his heels and headed for the front door after Alaric, who seemed to be basically dying to leave, impatient and antsy.

"Damon, what's going on?" Stefan called after him but didn't get any kind of acknowledgement.

It was Elena's voice that stopped him in the doorway.

"Damon." He turned, his hand on the doorjamb. Her gaze shifted between him and Alaric who was already outside on the porch. He turned as well though. "Be careful."

* * *

Okay then, she was god knows where in the obviously abandoned house with someone psychotic and not really sane perhaps. Someone who might very well turn out to be a vampire. Yeah, and she was cuffed to a pretty solid construction, too. Just to make it more fun. On the scale from one to ten in terms of being screwed up she was probably hitting fifteen. At this rate her chances for survival were somewhere way below zero. No, _screwed up_ wasn't even covering it, not even close.

Jenna swallowed hard, wishing with all her might that she'd just merge into the wall. Her heart was pounding somewhere in her throat, threatening to suffocate her any moment, and her whole body was shaking. It could have been cold of course, but her bet was on adrenaline caused by fear. It was only then that she noticed all of a sudden that the light had started to fade gradually, plunging the already darkened room into deeper shadows. Was the sun going down already? Hell, how long had she been out?

"Who are you? What do you want?" She asked, fighting hard to keep her voice firm. It trembled slightly though, betraying her. And her head… oh, her head hurt so bad.

The woman snickered coldly. She stayed in the darkness where the last rays of sun couldn't reach her. She was wearing heels, apparently. Jenna could easily define the sound on the hard-wood floor that echoed in the corners. Darkness was her advantage, her chance to see and study Jenna properly without revealing herself, making Jenna feel exposed and vulnerable, making her physically feel that glance sliding up and down her, as if measuring her one way or the other.

That was probably how the cats looked at mice while playing with them before killing them – with a mixture of lazy amusement and cold calculation. The thought made her press her back into the cold wall even harder.

"Does it even matter," the stranger spoke all of a sudden, surprising Jenna and making her blood run cold, "if you are going to die?"

**To be continued…**

* * *

A/n: well, thanks for reading! Typos and other mistakes are all mine, of course, don't be harsh ;)

And remember that reviews are making me happy :)


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's notes:** Do I have to start with how depressed and devastated I am with what had happened last week on the show? .. No, I'm not going to get over it. They had no right to kill off Jenna, Jalaric, and the future they could have had!

Not that I am going to rant about it here…

So, this is chapter finale of my fanfic, which took me about 10 or so months to finish. Yeah, it had been a while, and I apologize for being so slow. Never expected it to be so long, and it is so far the longest fanfic I've ever worked on. I have to words to say how much I appreciate your patience, and support, and encouragement, and all the night words, guys. You're the best, and it means so, so much! Each and every comment of yours is making me happy. Special thanks to everyone whose reviews I can't reply to for some reason. You have no idea, guys, how much I appreciate you taking your time! Thank you!

* * *

**Chapter 16 **

No, this wasn't what Jenna wanted to hear, not at all. In fact, she was kind of hoping they wouldn't go there at all. Speak of wishful thinking. Feverishly, she was trying to figure out what she could possibly do about it now, what with all escape plans quickly going down the drain. Chewing her arm off still was an option, wasn't it? If only she had some time to think…

"I don't understand," she whispered pressing her back harder into the wall and watching the dark form of a figure, wide-eyed. "Who are you? Why are you doing this?"

The woman let out a short cold laugh. "You shouldn't have come back," she said, chuckling coldly, looking at Jenna the way a predator looked at its prey.

Well, maybe she wouldn't have to chew her arm after all, Jenna thought. Maybe someone would do it for her. "Where?"

"To Mystic Falls, of course."

Oh, this was getting interesting. For a moment there Jenna even forgot about her seemingly impending death, too puzzled by this point to process it all at once, because… seriously?

"It wasn't my idea," she said, and really, had she been in a little less dangerous situation, she would have snickered, too. Handcuffs aside, it was starting to look like a big joke. "My sister—"

"Oh, spare me the family drama," the woman cut her off. "Do you think I care?"

Hardly, Jenna thought but kept the comment to herself. She tugged her hand again trying to do it as subtly as possible. It was getting more and more painful each time she tried. Her wrist was swollen and throbbing non-stop by this time, all covered with scratched and swells. She knew it was pointless and that she was only making it worse but it was just as much as she could do in given circumstances, and the very idea of doing nothing… well, it wasn't working with her, naturally. Not when her life was finally starting to make any sense at last. If she was about to die, she'd go down swinging.

If only she didn't feel like crap and could think properly…. How much in trouble she was in in regards of no one knowing where to look for her, again?

Meanwhile, the woman came up to the stand lamp and flicked it on. Momentarily the room filled with dim light making Jenna squint and blink. After the semi-darkness it was too bright for her. And to be honest, aspirin would still be highly appreciated as her head all but exploded from yet another wave of pain.

For a moment, the mysterious lady stayed outside the pool of light, but then she stepped forward and Jenna could finally study her properly. She was young, a couple of years younger than Jenna herself, perhaps. She was wearing black tailored pants, a long-sleeved v-necked dark-purple t-shirt, and her hair was pulled up at the temples and yet falling down her back and shoulders in thick dark, almost black curls.

She was pretty, save for the waves of uncontrolled hatred coming from her, and one didn't need to be psychic to feel them. If only it was physically possible to kill someone with the power of mind, Jenna was sure she'd be lying dead already.

Well, it wasn't what surprised Jenna thought. For a moment there she thought she was seeing things, what with her mind being so fuzzy. Okay, surprise was a huge understatement. Shock was probably covering it much better.

"It's you," she muttered, staring at the woman. "You… you came to have a look at my brother-in-law's office a few weeks ago." Yes, she did recognize her at last. And no, it wasn't making any sense whatsoever.

"And?" The girl prodded her, taking another step forward, obviously enjoying the effect.

_And? _

"Do I—do I know you?" Jenna asked, utterly confused.

No, the face wasn't familiar in any way that could have assured her they'd met before, not matter how hard she tried to remember.

Her captor laughed. "Well, of course you wouldn't remember, would you?" She inclined her head slightly to her shoulder. "You were so cool and _awesome_, and so above everyone to look around, Jenna Sommers. You and your troublemaking in-crowd only cared about partying, sneaking booze from your parents, being high and not being caught. Honestly? Never would I understand what he found in you."

"Who?"

Yeah, now she was utterly and completely lost, Jenna decided, feeling like she'd somehow skipped the part of the conversation that was supposed to bring more sense to what she was hearing. Not that it was entirely impossible. No, really, did she actually miss something? It was like she was supposed to know stuff she probably didn't. Oh boy, that headache was making thinking hurt…

Melissa – Melissa Curtis, the name suddenly flashed in Jenna's mind, surprising her – might have as well been speaking Chinese. And no, the name didn't make things clearer. Okay, Jenna always knew there was a huge possibility for all of this to turn out to be some kind of a huge mistake. Well, now she was practically sure of it. Melissa knew her name and it wasn't quite clicking but all in all— It was a mistake, wasn't it?

The biggest problem was that it probably wouldn't be easy to convince her of that since she didn't seem to be particularly reasonable or willing to listen. Or sane – come to think of it.

"Logan," Melissa spat, making Jenna snap out of her thoughts and freeze, her eyes growing wide when the name sunk in. "He was crazy about you. Even when you pulled that drop-out stunt and left, he was still obsessed with you."

Jenna could only stare at her with unblinking eyes. God, what was she talking about? Was she even serious? _Logan?_

"Logan?" She echoed, feeling endlessly dumb. The name felt wrong on her tongue, and wrapping her mind around the conversation seemed to be practically impossible. What did he have to do with any of this? No, she couldn't believe it…

"It took him years to get over you," Melissa continued in a hiss, standing dangerously close to Jenna now. "It took me years of waiting and trying to finally have him because he'd always been _'Jenna this, Jenna that'_," she mimicked sarcastically. "And just when we started finally getting somewhere – bam! – you came back, and everything started all over again. You were like a virus he couldn't get out of his system."

Jenna's mind was reeling now. Was it really about Logan Fell? On her list of things that couldn't have happened under any circumstances this was probably number one. She honestly couldn't believe that his girlfriend of some sort started all of this because Jenna happened to come back to Mystic Falls. Who'd do that? God, _she_ didn't want to have anything to do with Logan! It felt like a very bad dream she kind of couldn't wait to wake up from.

"It's not like I killed my sister and brother-in-law so that I could return here and put a kink in your master plan," Jenna retorted, her voice sharp. And maybe it wasn't the best of "get out of here alive" tactics but, damn it, it was so ridiculous that the whole situation stopped being creepy by the second. For a moment there, the pissed off Jenna inside of her even forgot she was actually dealing with a vampire.

Melissa paid no any attention to it though.

"And then it got worse," she went on, her voice thick with anger and resentment.

When he got turned, Jenna realized. Everything gets heightened, she recalled. Love… hate, obsession. She'd seen the first one before, or at least that was what Damon told her Logan's persistence was about, and now had a vivid demonstration of the other two. Oh, crap…

"Did he turn you?" She asked, astounded. "Why would he do that?"

Melissa's chocolate eyes narrowed when she peered at Jenna, probably trying to burn her down with her glare or something, and maybe it was just a trick of light but for a moment there it looked like a web of thick black veins surfaced underneath them, and Jenna's blood froze as she thought Melissa was going to attack. But then, just like that, they were gone again leaving her wondering if she saw them at all.

"He didn't have anywhere to go, so of course he came to me," Melissa snorted. "He couldn't even enter his own house, for heaven's sake!"

Yeah, immortality definitely had its down sides, but Jenna kept the comment to herself. As well as the one about Logan being a damned gentleman and sharing his happiness with his girlfriend, or who-the-hell-ever she was. It would hardly give her any points anyway.

"I'm not sure how exactly it happened," Melissa rubbed her forehead as if it was something that bothered her as well. "I remember him coming to my place one night, saying you wouldn't let him in, and the next thing I know is that your boyfriend killed him." She ended the phrase rather venomously, making Jenna go all rigid, her heartbeat accelerating momentarily. "I remember driving somewhere in the rain at night after I found out. He wasn't picking up, I knew where I was going to go… and it kind of clicked. And then all of a sudden I wake up in the ditch feeling an overwhelming urge to go on a killing spree. And guess whose name popped up in my mind first?"

The question – however rhetorical it was – registered somewhere in the back on Jenna's mind, although she was pretty sure she went completely deaf after "your boyfriend killed him". Oh god, was it true? Alaric was the one who staked Logan? He… he never told her anything like that… well, to be fair, he never stated the opposite either. Not that she asked… It was Damon who told her Logan was dead and Jenna assumed immediately he was the one who killed him, what with it being so Damon. But Ric—

_He was dangerous, and he was after you_, Alaric told her once. She didn't remember when, or how they even got there in the first place. Yet, the words stuck in her head.

The news didn't want to sink in though, and it was hard to organize the whole range of craziness in her head. Having Logan's ex after her was insane. But knowing that Ric—oh boy, she needed some time to process it. Except that time was luxury she didn't quite have, and she couldn't say how much she had left right now. Why didn't he tell her?

"Is that why you were doing all of this?" Jenna asked quietly. "To me? To Ric? Is that why you were killing people?"

Melissa snorted. "I was killing them because I had to it. And maybe because it feels great, too," she added as an afterthought. "As for the two of you, you should have lost your mind and left Mystic Falls. Or just lost your mind. Either way." She shrugged. "And Mr. Hot History Teacher should have found out what it feels like to lose someone you love."

Shouldn't have asked that, Jenna thought if a little belatedly. Here's to smart thinking in extreme situations. She scooted into the corner of the bunk as Melissa started pacing in front of her. The air coming from the cracks between the boards on the windows was chilly, making Jenna shiver every now and then despite herself. Yet, her eyes always remained on the vampire before her.

"What a shame it didn't work," Melissa shook her head, somewhat lost in thought, as if forgetting about Jenna for a while. "You practically left me no choice but to go for extreme measures."

And she did, in fact, sound regretful, which made Jenna's skin crawl. Her head was spinning, both from all the information and whatever was causing this horrible headache, as she fought so hard to come up with the way to get out of there alive until panic and fear actually kicked in and she agreed on the _Let's die here and now_ plan, which she had to admit was kind of lame.

* * *

Damon pulled over and parked the car in the shadow of the trees at the very end of the gravel drive way that led to a massive mansion hidden in the darkness behind the thick trunks. He killed the engine after a short hesitation and then both he and Alaric climbed out, and were greeted momentarily by the chilly air and harsh gusts of wind that started tearing at their clothes and messing with their hair.

"So, this is it?" Alaric asked in a low voice.

The place looked abandoned and run-down, and it definitely didn't look like anyone used the drive way in the last decade, or a few. Being away from the main interstate roads, it obviously wasn't visited much. And everything around them was so quiet that it made hair stand at the nape of Alaric's neck.

"Looks like it," Damon shrugged. "That's the address. And we will have to walk from here. Even a non-vampire would hear the car coming."

"If they are even here," Ric pointed out.

"Oh, stop it, your optimism is so radiant it's blinding," Damon snickered rolling his eyes. They headed to the back of the car where Alaric kept his stash of weapons in secret compartment in the trunk. "Just don't do anything stupid," Damon warned him meaningfully.

"Define _stupid_," Alaric muttered, his eyes going up to the pale form of the house despite his will.

"Don't do much, period."

Damon slammed the trunk close, each of them carrying a couple of stakes and loaded crossbows. They looked up when the wind picked up all of a sudden and a faint peal of thunder echoed somewhere in the east where the sky had already started tuning purplish promising the rain. The whole image looked like a decoration for a low budget horror-movie, Alaric noted absently.

"Well, let's hope it's not a haunted house," Damon commented, as if reading his thoughts.

* * *

"How did you do it?" Jenna whispered. "All of that… how did you get into my head?"

Keep her talking, she thought. Just keep her talking for as long as possible. Not that she had any illusions about any of that miraculously turning into some sort of a very bad dream which she could eventually wake up from in her own bed and with Alaric sleeping peacefully nearby. Yet, she needed just as many precious minutes as she could get to at least try and come up with something remotely decent in the "staying alive" department, which, to be honest, Jenna wasn't that hopeful about.

Yet, if anything, even if her plan failed, she was still curious.

"You know, it's funny how being into the hypnosis practices make you so much stronger in the mind-messing when you're a vampire," Melissa responded not without amusement, and maybe even pride. "And it was kinda entertaining, too." She studied Jenna somewhat curiously. "Planting all these seeds about Alaric's wife being at fault… Seeing you being jealous. Seeing him being torn. Want to know funny thing?" Asked in that very voice that implied that whatever it was it was hardly funny, and that it was probably the last thing in the world that Jenna wanted to know. Not that it mattered. "Did you know why she returned to Mystic Falls?" Melissa watched Jenna's reaction. "Did you know she offered him to join her?"

No, she didn't, and yes, it was the most shocking news of today, perhaps. Isobel did? Was there anything else that Jenna didn't know? No, wait, she definitely didn't want to know that answer to _that_ question.

"Did you know he discussed it with Damon in the bar? Like maybe he should."

_Oh crap_. Jenna swallowed. "You're lying," she said firmly, and with more confidence than she was actually feeling.

"Am I?" Melissa's brows arched. "I had an idea of making you stab yourself in your sleep," she went on, obviously enjoying the effect. "In sleep walking, I mean. Wouldn't it be fun? You wouldn't even know, no one would. But it was too simple. Boring even, if you ask me. So I decided it would be more fun if you stabbed someone else instead. Someone like a sweet high school cheerleader."

Okay, really, that was it! Exactly the sucker punch Jenna didn't need.

"No," she mouthed soundlessly, breaking into cold sweat. It couldn't be true. It was just another mind game, was it? It could never be true. She would never—

"Don't you remember?" Melissa arched her eyebrow in close to real bewilderment. "Don't you remember waiting for her outside the gym after the practice? Don't you remember everything, Jenna?" Her eyes were peering into Jenna's, and if gaze could possibly be suffocating, that was it. "That should be one hell of a memory, shouldn't it? I'm surprised it didn't stick."

* * *

Dry leaves and grass crunched softly beneath their feet as they moved swiftly through the park surrounding the mansion. Their only cover were the darkness and thick trees, mostly naked this time of the year, their crooked branches reaching out for the low sky. Wind aside, the silence was almost eerie, as if everything stilled and prepared for something, even though the definition of _something_ was still pretty bleak. Oddly, the calm before the storm had a double meaning in their situation.

Another peal of thunder rolled across the sky following the first one, and sounding much closer this time, and thick smell of ozone and rain was hanging heavily in the air now.

The house stepped out from behind the trees, huge, massive and like a definition of _creepy_. A row of columns was propping up the terrace that seemed to be encircling the entire second floor. All the windows, as well as the front door by the looks of it, were boarded to keep out the curious. White paint was peeling off the walls and porch railing, and the steps that led to the wide front veranda didn't look like they could hold anyone but the cat. The walkway leading to it was all cracked and promised sprained ankles to whoever would dare to use it. So, they decided to stick to the lawn walking on crispy grass, their breaths puffing out in small white clouds, silent – lest they attract unnecessary attention.

Low clouds hiding the moon and thick shadows cast by the trees seemed to be giving good cover but it was impossible to tell if anyone was watching them so they tried to stick to the darkest spots anyway and make their proceeding as inconspicuous as possible.

"Doesn't look like anyone had been here in a century or two," Alaric mouthed almost soundlessly as he observed the house once they were close enough to make out the details.

To which Damon shook his head, put a finger to his lips and pointed at the second floor corner room where thin strips of light were filtering through the holes between the boards.

Alaric stiffened momentarily, his body going completely rigid by the second as his breath caught up in his throat. Instinctively, his hold on the stake in his hand flexed and tightened. Had anyone attacked him that very moment, he would be absolutely ready to beat crap out of them, no weapons needed.

"If she did anything to Jenna—" he began under his breath.

"I'll let you bite her head off," Damon agreed easily. "Can we please get it over with now? I still have that football game to catch tonight." He started walking towards the rear end of the house. "Try not to make too much noise, would you?"

* * *

Jenna's blood started to run cold in her veins and her breath hitched in her throat. No, her mind screamed refusing to accept it. It refused to even come close to accepting it. How—no, it was a part of the game. Right. Just a… god, it was something so bad, something so twisted.

"And you know what my favorite part of all of this was?" Melissa's lips formed into a cruel smirk as she relished in Jenna's misery. "Playing with all these little fears of yours. Like the one with you attacking someone in your sleep." She made a theatrical pause. "Or the one where your smoking hot teacher leaves you for his vampire wife. That one was just priceless!" The vampire chuckled. "Well, it was a two sided coin though. On the one hand it worked perfectly. On the other – it was too easy." She shook her head again then. "Almost took the whole drive out of it. Your damned trust issues are not fun!"

All Jenna could do was stare at her incredulously. It was just too much to process and some part of her didn't want to even try.

Truth was, Melissa hit the nail right on the head here. It wasn't like she didn't trust Ric, no. But the whole thing between them… it was too good, it felt so perfect that Jenna simply could help thinking every now and then that it was going to be taken away from her just like many other good things were. Better prepared than heartbroken, right? And Isobel, her ghost hovered over them every bloody moment. Well, maybe it only hovered over her but it wasn't like she could turn it off, not entirely at least. And the bitch had used it as best she could.

Helpfully, Jenna's mind offered her a memory of the dream she'd had a few days ago. A dream about Alaric and Isobel, so vivid that it made her feel sick. It took her a while to calm down when she woke up, shaking all over and refusing to say a word about it to Ric who woke up too disturbed by her uneasiness. He'd hold her then, stroking her hair and whispering meaningless nonsense until she drifted back to sleep. And it was then that Jenna realized that of all the things in the world she'd feared, losing him was on top of the list.

And now she found out that it wasn't even her goddamned dream! God knew how much stuff Melissa planted in her mind in the last few weeks, deliberately driving her insane. The thought was enraging. It made Jenna purse her lips tight. "You're insane," she said through clenched teeth.

Melissa's smile grew wider. "And you are dead."

* * *

They circled the house, staying closer to the walls. Going for the front door wasn't an option. It didn't look like it was possible to use it, to begin with. Then, it could have been a set up. And even if it wasn't, vampire hearing assumed, any sound of them tearing down the boards could have easily given them away, and the porch looked so old and unstable that it was too much of a risk altogether. If by any chance they didn't fall down and end somewhere in the basement, they'd at the very least make an announcement of their arrival, which was the last thing they needed.

Alaric's gaze kept flickering up towards the second floor area, and even though they could no longer see the window that attracted their attention in the first place, his heart was still skipping a beat every time an old house emitted any sounds. It totally felt like the whole thing was watching them. He couldn't help hoping despite himself that it was only his overheated imagination and nothing else.

"There should be a way in," he whispered, looking around. "They got in somehow."

Damon waved off the twig of the overgrown bush they had to fight their way through. "If anything, they should fire their gardener."

He did try the boards on a couple of the first floor windows they'd passed by, but they sat tight, and trying to tear them off would probably cause too much noise so they decided to leave it as their back-up plan in case none of others worked. Not that they had any.

"There," Ric pointed to what must have been the back door that led to the patio and the garden behind the house. Unlike the front door, however, it wasn't boarded, and the two of them exchanged a quick look. The problem was that it was rather exposed and they had to cross the open space to get there, plus there was no guarantee it wasn't locked. Yet, it still was their only chance right now.

"I hope you know how to pick the locks with your finger," Damon breathed out.

"I thought it was your thing," Alaric shook his head as he followed the vampire to the door, their progression swift and their feet almost soundless on the gravel.

The doorknob turned easily making them both go rigid for a moment as they waited for something to happen – for someone to jump at them, or for the sirens to howl, or maybe for the whole goddamned place to collapse like a card house. None would be much of a surprise. It was hard to say why, but both were sure it was just… too easy. Like someone was waiting for them Yet, a few moments had passed and nothing changed, and they finally let their breaths out. Then again – the vampire that took Jenna probably couldn't even imagine them finding the place that fast, which of course didn't mean the guards could be let down.

"It is bound to creak," Damon whispered pulling the door open. Surprisingly, it didn't, as if someone kept the hinges oiled.

He opened it just wide enough for them to slip inside as quietly as it was possible, and then they paused, waiting for their eyes to adjust to practically complete darkness. Even the moonless sky outside wasn't plunging everything into absolute blackness, and now they both feared running into something and ruining the element of surprise.

"Check there," Damon nodded to the right after about half a minute when shapes and forms finally stepped out of the shadows.

Ric nodded curtly and moved wordlessly in the said direction, his fingers flexing on the stake. The guns and crossbows were cool, and pretty effective in certain situations, but at the end of the day the stakes remained the most effective weapon, and he trusted them the most. it wasn't like they always had a chance to aim properly.

Alaric swallowed hard as he stepped into what had probably once been a kitchen adjoined with the dining room that he spotted ahead of him in the dimmest of lights falling through the cracks and holes between the boards on the windows. Each of his steps was careful and calculated in case some rotten floorboard creaked beneath his feet.

The air was stale and smelled like dust and old wood, and even in almost complete darkness it was obvious that the house was in as bad condition on the inside as on the outside. It was hard to imagine when was the last time anyone lived there. And he would really, really appreciate it if the windows remained open. Oh well, it wasn't like he expected everything to be easy and smooth from the start.

Slowly, he walked past the kitchen island, coated with a thick layer of dust and into a big dining room. A huge table in the middle was the only piece of furniture left there, and his best guess was that whoever cleared the place just didn't bother to try and move it. Even to Ric it looked too big and solid.

Everything about him was tense and on alert, ready to jump into the fight any moment. Carefully, he let out a long breath he didn't even notice he was holding. Jenna was somewhere here, and everything inside of him was twitching and coiling from fear. He refused to think about the possibility that he could have been late already. It took them quite a while to figure out the location of this place after all. But at the same time it was impossible to block these thoughts out of his mind completely, and his overheated imagination was offering pretty disturbing images at this point, what with all these hours of worry he'd gone through.

Ric fought to stay focused though. Damon was right here. They had to be careful and stay unnoticed for as long as possible. Once their location was detected, the stakes would jump sky high, and the whole idea of coming here was to keep Jenna from being hurt, not the other way around – no matter how much he wanted to rush upstairs and kill each and every vampire who so much as touched her with his bare hands. Speak of hating rational thinking.

Alaric met Damon in the hall half a minute later, catching a glimpse of what must have been a living room or a study of some sort behind the vampire's back, and then they both turned and started up the wide staircase that led to the second floor.

"Nothing?" Damon mouthed. Alaric shook his head. "Let's go then."

* * *

Jenna stiffened and her breath caught in her throat when something creaked suddenly in the dark depths of the house, like a floorboard under someone's foot perhaps. Her heartbeat piqued momentarily. Weren't they alone? Could there be someone else in the house? Someone she didn't know about yet? Another vampire?

Was she really _that_ screwed?

Melissa, however, whirled around, going all rigid by the second, all of her vampire senses kicking in instantly. For a long moment none of them moved, listening intensely. Melissa's eyes remained on the shadows. Jenna's – on Melissa as she fought to understand whether strange scary noises were good news or not. Was there such thing in her situation as good news at all?

Well, her captor's reaction was somewhat reassuring, if only because there suddenly appeared a one in a million chance that it wasn't some partner of hers lurking in the house. The house itself was practically ancient, for heaven's sake! It was most likely living its own life, and moving, and breathing, and any gust of wind was probably making it emit all sorts of sounds.

Jenna's eyes flickered between Melissa and where she thought the door was, not that she could see it. In any case, right that very moment the vampire still posed greater danger, or so it seemed to her. At least until the sound repeated. Someone definitely wasn't keeping their presence secret. Barely audible for Jenna, it was probably gun-shot loud for her vampire buddy. On a warning look over her shoulder that promised hell on earth to Jenna had the latter so much as moved – yeah, like she had that choice, Jenna thought grimly as she fought to ignore her throbbing wrist – Melissa disappeared swiftly, finally giving Jenna a chance to heave a breath for the first time in hours.

Yet, the moment of short-lived relief was soon gone, and she looked around feverishly. Just like before the room offered no hope. Plus, it was mostly dark now which wasn't helping the matters. On a sigh, she studied her cuffed wrist again as well as metal frame it was attached to. Well, if the whole thing wasn't nailed to be the floor she might as well try and move it altogether if necessary. Problem was, it was hardly an option.

Jenna slumped against the wall in defeat, looked up fighting to catch any other sounds… and froze when her senses registered a small movement in the depth of the shadows on the other end of the room. _No_ – was the first thing that came to mind. And then her eyes grew wide when the figure stepped into the light, and it took Jenna a moment or two to realize it was Alaric, which probably surprised her a lot more than if it was Easter Bunny. A jaw-dropping moment indeed.

Which was exactly what had happened. She blinked and opened her mouth still thinking that it was nothing but a trick of her mind caused by that excruciating headache, but then she closed it right away when Ric motioned to her to stay silent. At this point of time her shock was so overwhelming that she didn't even bother to question how he managed to find her. With all the possibilities rolling in her mind about mysterious visitors and unexpected guests that might have visited them, the idea of someone actually coming to help her didn't even occur to Jenna, if only because it was way over her optimism level since it was practically impossible to figure out the link between her and… How on earth did they find out about Melissa?

Meanwhile Alaric crossed the distance between them in two big strides and crouched beside the cot. And god, had she ever been more relieved in her entire life?

"Ric," she breathed out.

"You okay?" He asked in the barest of whispers reaching out to brush hair out of her face, his gaze wandering around her features and lips formed into a relieved half-smile, probably reflecting the exact same thing she was feeling. Jenna nodded hastily. Her eyes flickered towards the darkness quizzically. "Damon," he mouthed soundlessly. "Let's get you out of here."

"That could be a problem," she muttered demonstrating him the handcuffs, and making Alaric frown immediately. "And before you asked – no, I don't have the key."

The sound of something falling and breaking somewhere in the confines of the house startled both of them. Instinctively, Jenna's fingers flexed on his, holding tight.

"I'll be right back," Ric whispered after a short hesitation, squeezing her hand back and obviously torn. "Just wait here, okay?"

"Really not an issue," she murmured when he was gone as she looked down at her hand again.

She didn't have much time to elaborate though because suddenly Melissa was back, vampire speed ensued, and before Jenna knew, she was pinned to the wall, a steel-firm hand closed around her throat and holding her tight, basically strangling her. And the world exploded again when the back of her head smacked into the wooden panel. For a few agonizingly long moments all she could see was the dance of white spots before her eyes while she didn't know whether to gasp for breath or simply try to pass out.

"Not going to work," Melissa hissed, demonstrating long bare fangs that suddenly appeared before Jenna's face when she was able to focus again. Hadn't she already been pressed had into the wall, she'd probably attempt to back away even farther now. Well, chances were she'd probably break through it any moment, Jenna thought somewhat sourly. "Should have finished you right away."

"Hey, why don't you try it with someone your size?" A rather lazy voice asked behind them. "Or, say, your biological type?"

On a frustrated snarl Melissa let go of Jenna's throat, pulled back and turned around, leaving her coughing and taking sharp convulsive breaths, and they both stared at Damon who stood with his hands tucked into the front pockets of his jeans as he watched them with amused curiosity.

Melissa's lips twitched, which could have been taken for a smirk perhaps, if it wasn't for the fangs that looked kind of threatening, even though in Jenna's opinion Damon didn't seem that impressed. Everything about her was tense too, and ready for attack.

"Damon Salvatore," she chuckled.

"The one and only!" He beamed.

"You think you're so brave?" She asked him condescendingly, and to Jenna it sounded rather ridiculous for some reason, if only because playing brave with Damon was ridiculous by definition.

"As a matter of fact, I am," Damon agreed easily, shrugging. "You mind if I pick up my friend over there," he poked at Jenna. "Guess exploiting your hospitality is getting rude."

"And funny too, I see."

"Just a side note – your housekeeper sucks! So much dust everywhere," he shook his head with disapproval.

She lunged at him before any of them so much as blinked. Instantly, the stake shot at her from out the dark. One of Alaric's stakes-loaded crossbows, Jenna realized, not quite focusing on the thought. Everything was happening so fast! Melissa's reaction was immediate. She stopped half way across the room, Damon forgotten, to catch the stake and throw it back at Alaric.

Jenna's heart skipped a beat as she watched all of that like in slow motion replay. For a moment there, time seemed to slow down, making everything oddly sharp and clear, and agonizingly detailed. Everything about her went numb from fear and helplessness mixed with rage caused by inability to actually do anything instead of just sitting there and being a passive observer.

But before any remotely coherent thought formed in Jenna's mind, Damon was moving, too. In the flicker of a motion he slammed into Melissa, pinning her to the wall. The board panels cracked at the impact. In the faint light Jenna saw her grimace.

Obviously, Melissa wasn't strong or fast enough, especially compared to Damon. Not only young vampires were weaker physically, they were also less coordinated and not much in control of their newly acquired strength. Rage was pretty much making up for it though but at the same time it was making Melissa act pretty much thoughtlessly and predictably. Jenna knew it. And Damon knew it, too. Yet, his mistake was to take it for granted thinking that his 150-year-old strength would compensate it. In a grand scheme of things, after all, everything regarding the vampires was about the element of surprise, which was exactly what had happened when Melissa suddenly shoved him away, slamming him into the wall with an even loader crack with unexpected strength. If anything, _what the hell_ that flashed across his face for a moment described Damon's reaction perfectly.

Out of the corner of her eye – and unable to tear her gaze away from the commotion – Jenna noticed that Alaric was circling the room to get a better angle for another shoot. Unfortunately, she wasn't the only one who noticed it. Melissa's reaction was immediate. And before Alaric knew, she let go of Damon and bolted at him, tossing him into the corner of the room like a ragdoll, his crossbow and the stakes he carried scattering around the floor.

_No_, Jenna gasped soundlessly, her heart sinking. _No, please_. The impact obviously wasn't that bad, if only Melissa's move was more instinctual than calculated. Besides, she had already been weakened slightly. And some rational part of Jenna registered it. Yet, as he disappeared outside the pool of light, she wished she had a vampire vision to see where he landed in the darkness. Crazy race of her heartbeat and adrenaline rush was making her hear spin. Without thinking, she jerked her hand again in desperate attempt to free herself, causing dull pain strike through her entire arm. God, how could she be sitting there and doing nothing? She had to get out, she had to help.

Meanwhile, Damon shot at Melissa knocking her sideways and pinning her to the floor, his hand closed around her throat. "Bad move," he hissed breathlessly. Wait, did he actually have his shoulder dislocated?

"Couldn't agree more," she hissed back, and it was too late for him to notice that she somehow managed to take hold of one of Alaric's stakes from the floor because when he did notice it, said stake was plunged into his side.

"Son of a bitch," Damon growled in pain and frustration.

Instinctively, he reached for the stake letting go of Melissa, which she used to push him away altogether. She rolled away from him and, moving lightning fast, met him in half crouch when Damon regained his position and whirled around tossing the bloody stake away. Jenna didn't notice who did the first shot because it was happening just too fast, and she was too shocked to comprehend it properly. Fangs bares and eyes glaring daggers, they slammed into each other and then Damon emitted another angry growl.

Jenna yanked her hand again, not thinking about how pointless it was, but then Melissa stepped away from Damon with what could have probably been interpreted at satisfied grin hadn't it been for fangs and, oddly, blood on her face, and all but smirked when he looked down and found yet another stake sticking out of his stomach.

"How much of this crap is lying around here?" Damon grumbled, obviously pissed off.

Astounded and speechless, Jenna watched them, and it took her a moment or two to register the fact that her hand was free.

Not even surprised at first because it was suddenly such a small thing compared to what was going on around her, she stared down to her bloodstained and bruised wrist for what seemed to be a very long moment, pondering the realization. And then something clicked in her mind, switching it into action mode. She snapped her head up to find Damon and Melissa too preoccupied with themselves to pay any attention to anything and anyone around.

_It's you chance, just think. Just think for heaven's sake_.

Which was basically a lot harder than expected. Yet, Alaric was still somewhere out there, she had to get to him. She had to… do something. Anything. God, _anything_, or she'd go crazy. _Be okay! Please, please be okay!_

Hastily, Jenna scooted down the cot, not quite sure what she was doing or why, or if she even had any plan at all. The movement made a wave of nausea and dizziness sweep through her once again, making her sway a little and grab for the metal carcass of the cot. For a moment there the whole roomed seemed to float beneath her, making Jenna feel like she was on some crazy roller-coaster. Yet, she swallowed, struggling to stay focused and—

Well, that was pretty much all she managed to do when Damon, weakened by blood loss and pain staggered, giving Melissa a chance to spring at him with all her force, fueled and increased by fury, and all but throw him away. Momentarily, she span around, her eyes growing wide by the second when she saw that the spot on the cot where Jenna used to sit merely moments ago was empty. Yet, her grin widened as soon as she saw her not two feet away on the floor, breathing hard and watching the vampire with genuine horror.

"And where do you think you're going, exactly?" Melissa chucked making one slow step towards Jenna after another.

Jenna's heart sank. _No_, flashed through her mind as she groped around the floor and the wall behind her, as if waiting for some weapon to appear right there for her, her fingers grazing against rough dusted wood and her attempts to get up rather vain.

And it was then that Alaric leaped out of the darkness on an angry snarl and lunged himself at Melissa. But he wasn't fast enough, what with him not being a vampire, and she met his advance half-way, blocking him and tossing him aside until he hit the wall hard enough to all but break through it, and landed by it in a misshaped heap.

"It's getting too crowded here," Melissa's lips pursed tight with anger and frustration, she aimed at him, eyes blood-shot and thirst glowing in them.

"No!" Jenna sprung up, surprising both of them. _Ric_. She wasn't thinking, she couldn't. She had to help him, she had to stop her before the vampire did anything to Alaric. _No, not Ric. Please, get up, please_…

Melissa was right in front of her in a swift move before Jenna did so much as a couple of steps. She didn't even had time to gasp or get surprised when the vampire threw herself at her, fangs bared and aiming for her throat. It wasn't a joke when people said that before death the whole life was flashing before one's eyes. Okay, she wasn't all that sure about the _whole_ life but time indeed seemed to slow down drastically, making it possible for a few episodes to flicker through her mind, although she didn't quite get a chance to actually dwell on them.

Numb, she was staring at the vampire, registering with shocking clarity the unnaturally long fangs and a web of black veins beneath Melissa's eyes. There was nothing human about this creature, nothing sane. And just like that, the fear was gone, as if her mind blocked it out when it became too overwhelming.

_So, this is it?_ was the last question Jenna had asked herself before squeezing her eyes tight… and holding up the hand with the stake she found on the floor, the one that rolled underneath the cot and no one noticed, not daring to hope for anything anymore. She was no Buffy, she had no idea how to stake a vampire. What she knew was that she probably wasn't strong enough for it. Not that it mattered. Not now at least. _Just keep her attention away from Alaric_. Time did slow down, as though they were all moving through something thick and sticky. _I'm sorry, Ric_. And the next thing she knew was that Melissa let out some chocking gagging sound, and then the stake was suddenly too heavy in Jenna's hands.

She snapped her eyes open, gaping in disbelief at the grimace of pain and surprise that distorted Melissa's face. Her fingers let go of the stake as she staggered backwards until her back hit the wall again. For a moment something flashed through the vampire's gaze. Something Jenna failed to define. Something that she'd say was a relief.

Heavily, Melissa body slumped down to the floor, her skin turning grey and her eyes staring lifelessly at Jenna, who slid down the wall to the floor, gasping for air and practically suffocating. Her heart was thudding so hard against her ribs that she thought it could break through the ribcage any moment, as her gaze remained fixed on the body at her feet. Adrenaline coursing through her system was making everything oddly clear, yet her mind was blank and unfocused, and all Jenna really wanted was to close her eyes and then finally wake up from this never-ending nightmare.

She missed the moment of Alaric approaching her, and then suddenly his face was right in front of hers as he crouched down beside her, the crease between his brows deep with concern. Not without effort, Jenna tore her eyes away from the dead vampire. Vaguely, she noted that Ric's lips were moving as he was probably saying something to her but she couldn't hear, dumbstruck.

_Ric_.

"Jenna," he reached out to cover her cheek with his hand turning her face to him. "Jenna, look at me…Jen-"

"There…" she began, stuttering, her lower lip quivering.

His arms closed around her, holding onto her as tight as he only could, given the chance that a couple of his ribs were probably cracked, or so he guessed, if that excruciating pain was any indication. Not that it mattered anymore. All he could think about was that Jenna was alive, she was safe. The rest he would deal with later.

"She… I just…" Jenna muttered in a muffled voice taking one shallow breath after another, her face buried into his chest as she held onto his jacket in a white-knuckled grip, clinging to him as best she could as if he was the only thing that kept her from falling apart. And maybe he actually was.

"Shhh, it's okay," Ric murmured, stroking her back soothingly, his warm breath falling on her ear and neck, tickling her skin. The contrast of it and the cold air of the room sent a shiver through her body. "It's okay, everything's over. It's all over now." He kept repeating again and again.

For a very long moment he simply held her, rocking her like a child and whispering something comforting, the meaning of the words not as important as the voice they were said in. Gradually, the vibration caused by the adrenaline rush started to fade letting go of him, his breath synced with Jenna's convulsive one, evening it too as she attuned instinctively to him, soothed by the touch and the warmth of his body. Absently, he brushed his lips against the top of her head, relived by the fact that she stopped shaking violently in his arms at last.

He looked up when the shadow fell upon them and saw Damon towering over them, flinching and grimacing all the way, his hand gripping his side. He did look pissed as hell, and was bleeding badly too, what with the blood soaking through his clothes and streaming between his fingers, but the healing process had obviously started already, making it slightly better for him. He didn't bother to so much as acknowledge the crumpled body of a dead vampire lying right before him on the floor, only quirked his brows up at Ric in silent _You okay there?_

Reluctantly, Alaric nodded.

* * *

"_So, you're saying this was about some extra jealous chick with issues?_" Damon summed up Alaric's speech when the latter finished filling him in on the details, his voice pretty much disbelieving.

Injured or not, Damon dropped the two of them at the Gilberts an hour earlier and returned to the boarding house and his blood bags supply to heal properly. Yet, curiosity took over eventually, and apparently he couldn't help dialing Ric's number, not being wrong that despite late hour and overall physical and mental exhaustion Alaric obviously wasn't sleeping yet. Who would have?

"Basically," Ric admitted as he stopped pacing along the first floor hall and looked up the stairs. "Apparently, Logan Fell dumped her when Jenna returned to Mystic Falls. Yet, she remained the only person he could go to when he got turned, and then he turned her."

"_What a jerk_."

"Not sure he did it intentionally. Which of course doesn't change the fact that she decided to go after Jenna in revenge when I staked him. She posed as a buyer for Grayson's office to get closer and have a chance to keep an eye on Jenna. Tried to scare her first, and when it didn't work exactly as she planned, she decided to go for extreme measures, namely – waited for the moment when Jenna was alone, knocked her out with the blow on the head…. And, well, you know the rest."

His mind was still reeling although the physical pain and the relief from know that Jenna was fine dulled this chaos a little. That and painkillers. And yet, part of his was still finding the whole story unbelievable, and even though Jenna helped fill in blank gaps, it was still weird. Not to mention that his mind just couldn't wrap around the fact that this whole mess could actually finally be over for good. After all this time… well, at some point he truly started to fear that it just wasn't possible.

Damon let out a mixture of a scoff and a snort on the other end of the line. "_Too much of a soap opera for me. And let me tell you this, I always knew this Logan Fell guy was bad news!_"

Ric pinched the bridge of his nose, not going to debate the latter part. "She told Jenna about Logan," he breathed out.

"_About—oh._" Damon dropped the amused attitude momentarily, or at least part of it. "_How did she take it?_"

"I don't know," Alaric responded honestly. "We didn't actually talk about it. She just… she just said she knew."

He replayed the brief conversation they had not half an hour ago in his head again and felt uncomfortable twist in his stomach. Shock probably wasn't quite covering it for Jenna, and he couldn't help wondering if it could make her start looking differently at him. Knowing that he killed her ex – well, killed _anyone_, period – even for a good cause would hardly make it a "good" kind of different. His eyes darted up again and that annoying pain in his shoulder that just wouldn't go even since he nearly crashed the wall with it – which probably was a very stupid idea to begin with – echoed dully in every part of his body.

"_Tell her the guy ran into your stake,_" Damon quipped. "_Which was true by the way,_" he added. And then after a short hesitation, "_She'll come around, Ric_," in that serious voice that surprised both of them.

"Yeah," Alaric let out a long sigh, not at all convinced. Yet – to hell with it. She could hate him for it, or for whatever she waned, but she was safe. It was all that mattered. They'd—they'd deal with it somehow. "You okay there?"

"_I'll live_."

Ric hung up then and returned to the kitchen to grab a mug of tea from the counter. With it and a bottle of Aspirin he headed up the stairs, edgy and somewhat uncomfortable, not knowing what he was about to face. He pushed the half-open door to Jenna's bedroom and found her sitting on the edge of her bed dressed in an oversized T-shirt, her hair still damp from the shower and falling on her shoulders, and her face still bearing the remains of… well, he'd call it _What was that?_ It looked like she couldn't quite believe that what had happened was real. To be honest, he couldn't either.

Jenna looked up when he poked his head in. "Hey." Her smile was tired but warm, and a tight knot inside of Alaric's chest loosed instantly.

"Hey," he called back as he walked in, trying to keep his voice low lest Jeremy and Elena, who passed out soon after he brought Jenna back home, in one piece and mostly unharmed, wake up.

The lights were dimmed and the air smelled of vanilla-scented candles Jenna kept on the dresser, fabric softener from the linen on the bed and curtains, and sweet flowery steam that followed her out of the shower. His entire body ached to gather her in his arms and bury his face in her hair, and never let go.

Instead, Alaric simply walked up to her and handed her the mug. "Here, I thought you might want this."

"Thanks," her hands closed around it.

"You okay?" He asked if a little cautiously a few moments later as he lowered himself down beside her and put his phone away. If anything, she looked distracted and confused.

"I guess," she replied after a short hesitation, her gaze glued to the mug.

Alaric tucked her hair around her ear, making her turn and look him square in the face. His fingers brushed lightly down her cheek.

"Jenna…"

"I'm fine," she assured him and shook her head. Dropped her gaze down for a moment before fixing it on his once again. "I am, Ric. And, by any means, I look better than you," which made him break into smile despite his will.

Alaric winced inwardly. Yeah, he had bruises and scratches all over his body, not to mention blood smears on his clothes and god knows what else. And he didn't feel much better either. Well, a very pissed off and not quite stable vampire was tossing him around like a ragdoll for a while, so that was quite legitimate. "I bet."

"That must hurt," Jenna reached out, her fingers, cool and gentle, touched the cut above his brow.

"A little," he admitted, flinching. "But it looks worse than it feels, so…" He trailed off. "Remind me why I went all heroic, again?"

On a small laugh, Jenna grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him down, smiling at his surprise against Alaric's mouth. His lips felt soft and warm on hers, and her heartbeat quickened instantly to the eagerness with which he responded after only a merest hesitation, deepening her tentative touch. He tasted like Grayson's bourbon and fear, which made her insides flutter and her head spin, and her fingers flexed on the fabric as she held tight.

"Okay, that seems to be a good reason," he breathed out when she pulled back. Come to think of it, it was a damn good reason to go to hell and back, Alaric thought breathing in her delicate scent. "You sure everything's alright?" He asked, sensing some uneasiness to her. Not that it wasn't uncalled for, but—

"Yeah, it's just—" she bit her lower lip, struggling to find the right words.

"A lot?" He suggested ruefully.

"Too much even," Jenna let out a short laugh again. "You know, when crazy gets too crazy even for the crazy department." She made a funny face. "I still can't quite figure out which parts of my life in the last few weeks were real and which… well, weren't."

Slowly, Alaric nodded. "Yeah, that—that can be tricky."

"She told me something… about things I did—things I don't remember doing," Jenna tried to get her thoughts together. Cold trickled down her spine at the thought that some of them could be true. "I don't really know what to think about all of that." _To say the least_.

"It was all a lie, you know?" He caught her gaze and help it. "She was trying to get to you, to scare you. You shouldn't believe a thing she'd said, Jenna. Not a single thing. All of it was just a mind game," he finished, hoping he sounded convincing enough. Stroked her hair as his eyes searched her face, "You should try to have some rest now." _Now that you can finally let yourself sleep_, he wanted to add but decided not to.

"I know," Jenna leaned into him on a long sigh burying her face in his neck, and Ric's arm went momentarily around her. His ribs protested painfully making him stiffen for a moment, but in the end he decided he couldn't care less. "That feels better," she murmured tickling his skin with her breath, causing him to smile again. "How comes we never can skip the bad stuff and go right to the good parts?"

"Because life is lame like that?" Alaric offered helpfully.

She chuckled. "Figures." Paused. "Thanks for coming for me."

Ric kissed the top of her head and ran his hand up and down her arm. "Well, it was either that or bowling. Hell of a choice as you can see. Basically the hardest half a second of my life."

She let out a muffled half-snort. "I staked a vampire tonight."

"You did. And please, let's make it a one-time thing."

"I'm a badass," Jenna grinned.

He laughed. "You have no idea." And then called, "Jenna?"

"Mm?"

Alaric sighed, trying to ignore the fact that his heart had plummeted down to his stomach. "Are we good?" Just like that, and they both knew what he meant.

"Yes," She said after a short pause. He could hear smile in her voice, and then saw it on her face when she looked up at him. "Yes, Ric, we are."

* * *

**Epilogue **

Elena knocked on the door and shifted from foot to foot, edgy and uncertain by the second. Nothing was keeping her from actually turning the knob and coming inside like she'd already did so many times before. Yet, something was holding her back from doing it. For a reason she didn't want to think about right now, she wanted to make it a bit more… formal. Or maybe it was an instinct to try and keep the distance this way. Whatever. She'd probably think about it later. Maybe. Or maybe she'd want to try and forget about it altogether.

For a moment there she contemplated turning around and scramming before it was too late. In her mind she even had a picture of getting away behind the bushes lest he sees her out the window. Boy, it was childish! And immature! And so damn tempting that Elena—

Froze half way through the plan when the door suddenly opened revealing a rather sleepy Damon dressed in black pants and black short-sleeved t-shirt, his eyes unfocused and hair rumpled from sleep. Her breath hitched and her heart plummeted down, making Elena regret not getting out of there when she still had a chance, or coming there in the first place, come to think of it.

Meanwhile, Damon gave her a lazy once over and smirked, his lips curved into the crooked half-smile. "Stefan's not here," he told her. "He already left for school."

"I know," she said. Well, she did notice that when she didn't spot his car parked at its usual spot. "I wanted to talk to you." Maybe. Possibly. Or maybe not.

For a moment surprise and curiosity flickered across Damon's features as if he didn't know what to think of it. Yet, he put on his best "I don't give a damn" mask right away. "Okay," opened the door for her and stepped aside. "Please."

"It's okay," Elena shook her head. "I—I have to go anyway. I just… I just wanted to thank you yesterday. For helping Jenna."

Damon shrugged. "I had to get this history teacher out of my hair. Apparently, there was no other way to do so than to help him have his girlfriend back. He's too annoying when he's brooding."

She let a small smile form on her lips. "Whatever your reasons were, Damon."

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever." His gaze locked her hers. "Is there anything else I can do for you, Elena?"

_Because he is in love with you_. God, if only she could find a way to get Isobel's words out of her head. They were driving her nuts lately, much more than she would have expected, and she had to know! She had to find out—

The problem with it was that once she actually asked – once she knew the truth for sure – there's be no way back. They'd have to face it and deal with it, and there'd be no way to back away and pretend that it never happened. Was she ready for it? Did she want to be a part of this mess? What would it do to all of them? To Stefan, too? Wouldn't it make everything even worse? If only she'd known when she was feeling…

All these questions, and a million of others, flashed through her mind in a matter of seconds. "No," she shook her head half a minute later and stepped back, if a little uncertain. "I guess… I'm already late. Just… just so you know, whatever you say – it still means a lot, Damon."

"Yeah, to me too," he muttered watching her walk down the drive way.

* * *

Squinting and rubbing at her eyes, Jenna pulled the front door open and instantly spotted Alaric sitting on the porch landing, his feet propped a couple of steps below and his forearms resting on his thighs. Strong smell of coffee hung in the air, coming probably from the mug that sat on the hardwood floor beside him. The line of his shoulders was relaxed for a change as he sat staring sightlessly before himself, obviously not seeing his own car parked at the curb or the house across the street, for that matter. A wave of warmth rolled through Jenna.

"There you are," she murmured in a low sleep-affected voice when Alaric turned to the sound, and a fleeting smile crossed his face.

The morning air was rather chilly and Jenna was only wearing one of Alaric's dress shirts. Yet, it didn't stop her from walking out of warm confines of the house and padding barefoot across the porch towards him. She sunk down behind him, one leg tucked beneath her butt and the other stretched out along his hip. She wrapped his arms around his waist and pressed herself to his back.

"What are you doing up so early?" Jenna asked softly resting her chin on his shoulder.

Alaric's hand ran gently along her bandaged wrist carefully before closing around her lean fingers. He turned and watched her face for a long moment before planting a kiss on her temple, never tired of wondering how good, and comfortable, and just at home she was making him feel every single moment she was around. Like he belonged. Not that he dwelled much on it, but deep inside he never could have imagined he'd be feeling like that again.

"I have to leave for school soon," Ric said. "Didn't want to wake you up."

His morning stubble was gone, Jenna noticed, and he smelled like soap and aftershave lotion, a familiar combination that for some reason was driving her crazy. Her lips curved placing the goofiest of smiles on her face as he bumped his forehead into the side of her head, his fingers playing lazily with hers. Given a chance, she'd probably be able to spend the rest of her life just sitting like this.

"Do you have to go?"

Ric heaved a sigh. "The parade is in two days. I have to be there to finish some stuff and make sure we're ready," he explained. "Otherwise my cover would blow up, they'd fire me and I would have to hunt the vampires for living. You wouldn't appreciate it, believe me."

Jenna laughed softly. He could feel her breath ticking the exposed skin of his neck and his heart constricted at the warm feeling of her body against his. Something he got used to very fast. Something he wasn't sure he could, or wanted for that matter, walk away from. Even if he had to. Even if he had no choice. _That_ was something worth fighting for.

She looked up to study him. "Yeah, looking like that, you will be a living breathing example of what Confederate soldiers looked like after the battle," nodded with quite a genuine confidence.

He chuckled. "You feeling better today?"

"Much," Jenna assured him, grinning. "That ostrich-egg-sized bump on the back of my head is basically besties with the bottle of aspirin now, but we'll live." And then quietly. "I'm glad you stayed."

It was ridiculous how good he was making her feel just by being there. How good it was to breathe in his smell, listen to the sound of his voice. To just… have him around and know he belonged to her. Feeling the warmth of his body and the weight of his arm wrapped around her every single time she was waking up at night was a hell of happiness, to begin with.

"How could I not?"

"You know, Melissa… she said something to me yesterday, Ric," Jenna said after a short hesitation. Speak of ruining the moment. But she—she kind of had to know, if only to make sure there were no loose ends left. "She said that Isobel returned for you. To… to try and get you back."

Alaric stiffened on a sharp intake of his breath, knowing perfectly that she would feel it too but not able to help it, his body going rigid as the memories of Isobel basically threatening Jenna flashed through his mind. Jenna didn't pull back though like he half-expected, and didn't indicate noticing his reaction in any specific way.

"Yes," he responded if a little unwillingly after a short pause.

She rubbed her cheek against his shoulder. "Yet, you're here," came out as a whoosh of breath as she listened to the dull beating of his heart vibrating through his body and sending slight shiver down hers.

"I am where I want to be," he told her simply, stroking her arm.

Jenna looked up and met his eyes again when he turned. "I would never ask you to choose between us." Which made his lips curve.

"It is not a matter of choice, Jenna. And if by any chance it _was_, you'd make it that much easier," he told her, amazed by how her face lit up instantly. On a small sigh full of genuine regret, Alaric got up to his feet and then pulled her up after him. "We should probably get back inside." He reached out to stroke her hair and then gave her an appreciative once-over. "As much as I love the outfit, I'd say we should save it for a better weather."

Now that he stood a step below her, Alaric's eyes were almost on the same level with hers. God, she was so beautiful with that mane of soft hair still messy from the sleep and her cheeks flushed from cold air. His heart ached at the feeling, his entire essence not able to believe it was happening for real. And yet, there she was, _making_ it all happen.

On the moments like this he couldn't help thinking that each time he wandered back down the memory lane to the "before" Mystic Falls time, it was getting that much harder to dwell on what he had left behind. The details were getting blurred and unfocused making him wonder which of them were real and which – make-believe of the world he had created in his mind. Like an old ink on the parchment that faded with time, making the words unreadable.

But in any case, one thing was clear to him – he could no longer look forward without seeing Jenna in his future, and a part of him wished he could find the right words to tell her how much she meant to him and how she changed everything just by being who she was. The problem was he wasn't sure such words existed. And, basically, all he could hope for was that loving her as much as he did would be enough to do the job. That he would never get tired of proving. Here, now, he was ready for it. It was all that he wanted, all he needed. His past would always be a part of who he was, of what had made him, but it was time to finally leave it all behind where it belonged.

"Ric…"

"You're the best thing that happened to me in… ever," Alaric said as his gaze wandered around her features, and the affection in his voice made Jenna's stomach flutter. Expression somewhat wondrous, he added, "Guess I should have said it a long time ago."

"Well, glad I could help," she said the exact same thing as on that night when he walked her home after the 50s dance in the Mystic Falls High and told her she made his evening, which definitely made _hers_, and if by any chance she hadn't already been hopelessly into him by then, that would do the job.

"I'm so glad you're okay. You scared hell out of me last night, you know that?"

She shrugged with fake nonchalance. "It was the general idea. Just for the record."

His lips formed into a half-smile, yet his eyes remained serious. "I would never let anything happen to you, Jenna. Never." The back of his fingers brushed lightly down her cheek.

A lump formed in her throat and she swallowed hastily before she got too sentimental or something else ridiculous, however tempting the idea was for a moment. "Ric…" she started again, fighting oh so hard to find a light witty come-back and failing. Wanted to say that nothing would happen to her now that this whole story was over and none of them was in danger anymore but choked on the words under his gaze. Hell, why would he have to look at her like that? Jenna cleared her throat. "Well, at least you can _make_ some things happen," she teased him watching his face turn from slightly rueful to utterly confused. "You still owe me a date."

"Huh?" Alaric's eyebrows arched. "Really? Since… when?"

She grinned feeling like a five-year old in the toy-store who'd been told something like – _choose whatever you like!_ Not that it was that much far from the truth. "Since when I won you in that raffle lottery thing at the Fundraiser," she reminded him. "You never took me out."

"Oh, right!" He chuckled and then put on his best guilty face. "My bad. And totally unforgivable. So, you want a date?"

"Absolutely."

Ric wrapped his arms around her, pulling Jenna close. "We'll think something out." His mouth brushed lightly against hers, he could feel the smile on her slips.

"And it better be good."

"Absolutely."

_~ For the first time you can open your eyes_

_And see the world without your sorrow_

_And n__o one knows the pain you left behind._

_All the peace you could never find_

_Is waiting here to__ you hold, keep you._

_Welcome to the first day of your life_

_Just open up your eyes_

"_Open Up Your Eyes" by Daughtry ~_

**The end **

* * *

So…. This is it! I hope it wasn't entirely lame. But even if it was, feel free to let me know! The whole Epilogue part was totally unnecessary, and I'm well aware of it since if didn't bring anything specific to the plot. I just wanted to write it.

95% of this chap was finished before TVD 2x21, just so you know. And a bawled my eyes out editing the Jalaric parts in the end, knowing we'd never see them again on the TV. Why couldn't they save her, again?

Before anyone asked – no, there won't be a sequel. If I ever get back to writing about that couple, it would be something different.

Thanks – again – for making it through all of this. My readers are the best, I love you, guys :) Hope you're kind enough to ignore all typos, mistakes, etc. I did my best to eliminate them, but—

And just to remind you of two fanfic-related videos [in case anyone missed them], delete the gaps:

http :/ www. youtube. com/ watch?v=tLWMCUt_k1I

http :/ www. youtube. com/ watch?v=ZdLqFCw3a58

As always, reviews are highly appreciated!


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